Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 31 March 2021
219. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the recent changes to the SEAI schemes for private homeowners; and the reason homeowners that availed of secondary measures under the scheme previously are refused further works. [16741/21]
View answer229. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the recent changes to the SEAI schemes for private homeowners; and the reason homeowners who availed of secondary measures under the scheme previously are refused further works. [17069/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 219 and 229 together.
The Programme for Government and the Climate Action Plan set ambitious targets to retrofit 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating of B2/cost optimal and to install 400,000 heat pumps in existing buildings over the next 10 years. A total of €221.5 million in capital funding has been provided for SEAI residential and community retrofit schemes this year. This represents an additional €100 million, or an 82% increase, on the 2020 allocation and is the largest ever budget for the schemes. This allocation is kick-starting the first phase of our retrofit plan.
Of this amount, €109 million is allocated to provide free upgrades for lower income households. This is a €47 million increase on the 2020 allocation. €112.5 million will be spent on expanding other existing SEAI grant schemes and introducing new initiatives. The first of the new schemes was launched in September when a call for projects under the new National Retrofit (One-Stop-Shop Development) scheme issued. A €30 million call for projects under the Communities Energy Grant scheme was launched in November. A targeted heat-pump ready homes campaign was also launched.
It is important to note that the grants available through SEAI aim to maximise emission reductions and deliver energy savings for the widest range of homeowners possible. The grants which are available, and their respective eligibility criteria, were selected as the most likely to deliver significant energy savings to homeowners as well as the best value for money for the Exchequer. The grant schemes provided by SEAI are however reviewed on a regular basis.
The Warmer Homes Scheme delivers a range of energy efficiency measures free of charge to low income homeowners who are vulnerable to energy poverty. Revisits under this scheme are currently not available. There are over 8,000 homes on the current work programme that have not previously received free upgrades under the scheme, and these homes are the priority to receive upgrades. Recommendations on the implementation of changes to the scheme to better target those most in need will be finalised shortly.
The Better Energy Homes scheme aims to improve energy efficiency by providing grant support for energy efficiency upgrades to homeowners whose homes were built and occupied prior to 2006 for insulation and heating control systems and 2011 for heat pump and solar thermal grants. Under the scheme a home cannot receive grant funding twice for the same energy efficiency measure.
Under the Community Energy Grant Scheme and the National Home Retrofit (One Stop Shop Development) Scheme, grants may be claimed for additional measures to increase the energy efficiency of a home as part of an overall project to achieve a specified target. For example, external wall insulation can be supported in homes that previously received cavity wall insulation where it is determined that it is an appropriate intervention as part of an overall upgrade project to attain B2 or cost optimal and meet the minimum BER uplift.
