All policies / Buildings / IRL_P0013
Energy Efficient Boiler Regulation
Instrument affecting the Buildings sector, using a standards mechanism; reported 2008–2022.
About this policy
Under the Part L Building Regulations in Ireland, there were specific requirements related to energy efficiency for boilers installed in new dwellings or during major renovations. These regulations mandated that boilers meet certain minimum energy performance standards, known as seasonal efficiency values (SEVs), which measure their efficiency over a typical heating season. The SEVs set out in the regulations ensured that boilers installed in residential buildings were designed to achieve optimal energy efficiency, reducing fuel consumption and carbon emissions. This PaM expired in 2022.
About this type of instrument: performance standards and mandatory labelling
Energy use in durable goods responds weakly to prices because of imperfect information, limited attention and split incentives, for example between landlords and tenants. This is the so-called energy-efficiency gap. Standards remove the least efficient options from the market. Labels reduce search costs for buyers.
- Predictable performance outcomes
- Effective where price responsiveness is weak
- Drive technology diffusion across the EU single market
- Apply mainly to new stock, so effects accrue slowly with turnover
- Gaps between test-cycle and real-world performance
- Rebound effects
- Generally less cost-effective than an equivalent price signal
Measurement in this dataset. Implementation uses OECD indicators for building energy codes, minimum energy-performance standards and labels. Successive editions of each standard are grouped into one policy family. Bindingness is scored 1.0 (mandatory rule). Assumed timing profiles use long ramps reflecting stock turnover.
Year by year
Filled markers use a matched OECD score; hollow markers use assumed timing. Shaded bands show the policy's status. Select a year on the chart or the slider to see how its intensity is built up.
Source records in the EEA registry
All EEA records linked to this policy. Records under the "with additional measures" scenario describe planned extensions; they are retained for traceability but are not treated as historical policy.
| PaM | Name as reported | Status | Scenario | Period | Ex-post kt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Energy Efficient Boiler Regulation | Expired | With existing measures | 2008–2022 | 315 |
Data-quality notes
Methodological notes recorded for this series, grouped by theme.
Timing assumptions
- After expiry, a lingering effect is modelled with an assumed half-life.
- Implementation in some years follows an assumed ramp-up because no matching OECD score is available.
Scoring conventions
- The unweighted equal-weight index remains positive before the policy starts; use the gated version for timing analysis.
- Bindingness is a normative score from the study rubric, not a measure of observed compliance.
- Coverage is an ordinal scope score, not a measured share of activity or emissions.
Selection context
- Policies were selected using recent (2024–2030) assessments, which can introduce retrospective selection bias.
Sources
- European Environment Agency. Reporting on national policies and measures, Ireland (report 1849), PaM 13. https://pam.apps.eea.europa.eu/