Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
112. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland grants approved to date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40716/22]
View answer113. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of technical assessments for the potential retrofitting of homes carried out in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40728/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 112 and 113 together.
Earlier this year, Government announced an enhanced package of supports to make it easier and more affordable for homeowners to undertake home energy upgrades, for warmer, healthier and more comfortable homes, with lower energy bills. These include:
- A new National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme providing increased grant levels of up to 50% of the cost of a typical deep retrofit to a B2 BER standard.
- Establishment of a network of registered One Stop Shops to offer a start-to-finish project management service, including access to financing, for home energy upgrades.
- A significant increase in the number of free energy upgrades provided to those at risk of energy poverty alongside changes to the operation of the Warmer Homes Scheme. This includes ensuring the Scheme prioritises those in the worst performing homes first and opening the Scheme for homeowner ‘revisits’ thereby allowing them apply for deeper energy upgrade measures now available under the scheme.
- A special enhanced grant rate, equivalent to 80% of the typical cost, for attic and cavity wall insulation has also been introduced for all households. This will help to urgently reduce energy use as part of the Government’s response to current exceptionally high energy prices.
Since then, demand across the SEAI retrofit schemes has been exceptionally high with a very significant increase in the number of applications, year to date when compared to the same period in 2021. This strong pipeline of projects is translating into delivery.
This year there is a target to complete almost 27,000 home energy upgrades, including over 8,600 homes to a BER of B2. Figures provided by the SEAI show that to the end of June 8,628 homes have been completed across the residential energy efficiency schemes and of these, 2,681 have been upgraded to a post works Building Energy Rating (BER) of B2 or better.
Data provided by the SEAI, show that 22,185 applications have been received by SEAI across the Better Energy Homes scheme; Solar PV scheme; Better Energy Warmer Homes scheme; and Warmth and Well-being Pilot in the year to date to the end of June.
In addition, SEAI has indicated that the One Stop Shops have received over 18,000 initial expressions of interest by phone and online, showing the interest in the new offering. The SEAI advise that figures to the end of June show that 441 applications for home energy assessments and 210 applications for works have been submitted under the National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme with applications expected to increase in the coming months.
The Community Energy Grant Scheme is also available to homeowners who want to retrofit their homes as part of a community project and applications are submitted directly through the Scheme’s Project Co-ordinators.
Data provided by the SEAI show that 1,989 technical assessments were carried out in 2021. Technical assessments assess the homes suitability for the installation of heat pump including an assessment of the ventilation heat losses in the dwelling.
