Dáil Éireann Debate, Friday - 16 September 2016
1710. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the estimated cost of increasing grant aid for every measure available under the better energy homes scheme divided between each individual energy efficiency measure to households in 2017 based on current participation levels and by percentage increases (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26433/16]
View answerThe Better Energy Homes scheme is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) on behalf of my Department. The scheme provides a financial incentive to private homeowners who wish to improve the energy performance of their homes. Grants are provided towards the cost of a range of measures including attic insulation, wall insulation, heating systems upgrades, solar thermal panels and accompanying Building Energy Rating (BER).
The effect of a percentage increase in grant levels cannot be predicted with certainty and the best that can be done is to apply percentage increase to activity level in previous years. However, such a mathematical exercise can be misleading as it cannot assess the elasticity of demand or impact as between measures of changing support levels, potentially miscalculating the impact on individual measures and overall cost to the Exchequer.
The table below shows, for illustrative purposes, the possible cost to the Exchequer if grant rates were increased by the percentages detailed in the Question, based on the demand levels experienced across 2015. That year is used for illustrative purposes as it is the last full year of the scheme's operation and so should negate any seasonal effect in grant payments.
A total of €14.3m in grant payments were made under the Better Energy Homes scheme in 2015. This involved upgrades to 12,339 homes. The split between individual measures is outlined in the table below (excluding the €50 grant awarded for undertaking a BER). It should also be noted that the exact grant a householder receives for a measure varies based on their house type and whether they are eligible to receive a bonus top-up payment for undertaking multiple energy efficiency measures.
|
- |
Total completed |
Actual spend 2015 (€) |
Average spend per measure (€) |
Possible spend (€*) with 2015 participation rate per measure if grant amount per measure (average spent in 2015)were increased by: |
||||||
|
2.5% |
5% |
7.5% |
10% |
12.5% |
15% |
20% |
||||
|
Roof Insulation |
4,751 |
1,337,149 |
281 |
1,368,407 |
1,401,783 |
1,435,158 |
1,468,534 |
1,501,910 |
1,535,286 |
1,602,037 |
|
Cavity Insulation |
3,995 |
1,185,489 |
297 |
1,216,178 |
1,245,841 |
1,275,504 |
1,305,167 |
1,334,829 |
1,364,492 |
1,423,818 |
|
Dry-Lining Insulation |
601 |
1,095,901 |
1823 |
1,123,014 |
1,150,404 |
1,177,795 |
1,205,185 |
1,232,576 |
1,259,966 |
1,314,748 |
|
External Insulation |
1,255 |
4,334,997 |
3454 |
4,443,139 |
4,551,509 |
4,659,878 |
4,768,247 |
4,876,616 |
4,984,986 |
5,201,724 |
|
H.E Gas Boiler with Heating Control Upgrade |
3,634 |
2,569,440 |
707 |
2,633,469 |
2,697,700 |
2,761,931 |
2,826,161 |
2,890,393 |
2,954,624 |
3,083,086 |
|
H.E Oil Boiler with Heating Control Upgrade |
1,155 |
851,770 |
737 |
872,516 |
893,797 |
915,078 |
936,359 |
957,639 |
978,920 |
1,021,482 |
|
Heating Controls Upgrade Only |
706 |
436,898 |
619 |
447,939 |
458,865 |
469,790 |
480,715 |
491,641 |
502,566 |
524,417 |
|
Solar Heating |
1,646 |
1,936,300 |
1176 |
1,984,088 |
2,032,481 |
2,080,873 |
2,129,266 |
2,177,658 |
2,226,050 |
2,322,835 |
|
Total |
17,743 |
13,747,944 |
N/A |
14,089061 |
14,432,380 |
14,776,007 |
15,119,634 |
15,463,262 |
15,806,890 |
16,494,147 |
