Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 December 2020
142. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of smart meters that have been installed to date; the number of homes retrofitted to date; the number of electric vehicle charging points that have been implemented to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42940/20]
View answerThe Programme for Government commits to ensuring that the energy efficiency potential of smart meters starts to be deployed in 2021 and that all mechanical electricity meters are replaced by 2024. In September 2019 ESB Networks commenced the replacement of over 2 million electricity meters and by end November 2020 over 214,000 electricity meters have been installed. Since 2000, over 400,000 homeowners have availed of SEAI grants or support to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. The Programme for Government and the Climate Action Plan set ambitious targets for the number and depth of residential retrofits to be completed by 2030. The overarching target is to reduce residential greenhouse gas emissions by 2-3 million tonnes. This will be achieved by retrofitting 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating of B2/cost optimal or carbon equivalent and installing 400,000 heat pumps in existing buildings over the next 10 years.
As part of Budget 2021, the Government announced that €221.5 million in capital funding will be provided for residential and community retrofit programmes next year.
Similarly, this Government is fully committed to supporting a significant expansion and modernisation of the electric vehicle charging network over the coming years.
There are currently circa 650 standard public charge points and over 100 fast charge stations in Ireland (the majority of which are operated by the ESB). In addition, my Department has committed €10 million from the Climate Action Fund to promote the charging network across Ireland and this has leveraged a further €10 million investment from ESB. This intervention alone will result in:
- 90 additional high power chargers (150kW), each capable of charging two vehicles
- 52 additional fast chargers (50kW), which may replace existing 22 kW standard chargers
- 264 replacement standard chargers (22kW) with more modern technology and with each consisting of two charge points.
Combined with an effective public charging network, Ireland's home charging policy will help sustain and service the expected growth of electric vehicles on Irish roads. Charging while at home accounts for around 80% of electric vehicle charging in Ireland and it is best practice, internationally, to promote home charging as the most common and cheapest form of charging. To support home charging, SEAI on behalf of my Department, administers an EV home charger grant of up to €600 towards the purchase and installation of an EV home charger unit. Since the home charger grant scheme was introduced in January 2018, a total of 6,155 grants were paid out to the end of October 2020.
