Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 January 2022
173. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if there are plans to reform the better energy warmer homes scheme to enable applicants to access the scheme for upgrades every five years or to shorten the permitted intervals between applications by some other period of time. [2162/22]
View answer181. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will amend the SEAI rule on a one home one visit in the SEAI warmer homes scheme to allow homeowners reapply for works that were not supported by grants in the 2014 scheme such as external wall insulation on houses in which walls were solid and could not be insulated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2520/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 173 and 181 together.
The Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme is funded by my Department and administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). The scheme delivers a range of energy efficiency measures free of charge to lower income households vulnerable to energy poverty. To date over 143,000 homes have received free upgrades under the scheme leaving them better able to afford to heat their homes to an adequate level. During the first 9 months of 2021, the approximate average value of the energy efficiency measures provided per household was €17,100.
Revisits under this scheme are currently not available. This enables the work programme to prioritise eligible homes that have not previously received free upgrades under the scheme. There are currently over 7,000 homeowners on the Warmer Homes Scheme work programme who have never received any upgrade works under the scheme. The National Retrofit Plan includes a commitment to review ways to improve how current energy poverty schemes target those most in need. Recommendations on the implementation of changes to the scheme to better target those most in need will be finalised shortly.
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.
