Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 July 2023
89. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to provide a breakdown of the number of heat pumps installed in the warmer homes scheme and warmth and wellbeing scheme for 2023 to the end of July, in tabular form. [36632/23]
View answer90. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to provide a breakdown of the amount of funding for heat pumps installed in the warmer homes scheme and warmth and wellbeing scheme for 2023 to the end of July, in tabular form. [36633/23]
View answer91. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to provide a breakdown of the number of oil and gas boilers installed in the warmer homes scheme and warmth and wellbeing scheme for 2023 to the end of July, in tabular form. [36634/23]
View answer92. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to provide a breakdown of the amount of funding for oil and gas boilers installed in the warmer homes scheme and warmth and wellbeing scheme for 2023 to the end of July, in tabular form. [36635/23]
View answer93. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to provide a breakdown of the number of heat pumps installed in the warmer homes scheme and warmth and wellbeing scheme for 2023 to the end of June, in tabular form. [36636/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 89 to 93, inclusive, together.
The Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme delivers free energy upgrades for eligible homeowners in low-income households who are most at risk of energy poverty. The scheme is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). To the end of June 2023, 2,346 homes were upgraded at an average cost of €24,000 per home.
The upgrades that will be recommended for a property will depend on many factors, including age, size, type and condition of the property. For each eligible home, SEAI’s technical surveyor will determine which upgrades can be installed and funded.
Heating systems upgrades are recommended under the schemes in cases where:
• There is no heating system in place, and the home is receiving an attic and/or wall measure,
• Where the existing heating system is obsolete and the home is receiving an attic and/or wall measure,
• Where statutory ‘Major Renovations’ obligations apply: A Major Renovation is triggered when more than 25% of the area of the walls is being externally and/or internally insulated, then the existing heating system must be appraised for replacement. This is legally required under the Building Regulations, Part L 2019.
It should be noted that the Warmer Homes Scheme is the only scheme administered by SEAI where installation of a new gas or oil heating system can be funded.
In order to move the scheme away from the installation of gas or oil heating systems where these Building Regulations are triggered, and to provide more extensive upgrades with decarbonised heating systems under the scheme, the National Retrofit Plan included a commitment to carry out a pilot to upgrade homes under the scheme to a B2 standard and install heat pumps. This pilot is gathering evidence to inform the appropriate process and approach to increase the number of B2 upgrades and heat pumps installations delivered under this scheme.
The table below sets out the number of heat pumps installed under the scheme* and the number of oil or gas boilers installed under the scheme* in the first half of 2023. Figures to the end of July are not yet available. The total spent on homes which received any heating upgrade was €29,972,240 incl. VAT. Figures in relation to the split of this funding between homes receiving a heat pump and homes receiving an oil or gas boiler are not routinely supplied by SEAI to the Department.
|
- |
Warmer Homes scheme January-June 2023 |
|
Total homes completed |
2,346 |
|
- Number of heat pumps installed |
20 |
|
- Number of oil or gas boilers installed |
583 |
* The Warmth and Wellbeing pilot scheme closed in February 2022 and any remaining homes completed in 2023 are reported on under the Warmer Homes heading and are included in the totals above.
