Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 January 2025
71. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications of those in fuel poverty, how many people got boiler and/or full heating upgrades out of the total number who applied under the warmer homes scheme. [46481/24]
View answerThe Warmer Homes Scheme aims to improve the energy efficiency and warmth of homes owned by people in, or at risk of, energy poverty through the provision of free energy upgrades. The scheme is operated by the Sustainable Authority of Ireland (SEAI) on behalf of the Government. The scheme is funded through carbon tax receipts via the Exchequer and by the European Regional Development Fund. Budget 2025 allocated a record €280 million for the scheme this year.
Until 31 December 2024, in order to comply with Building Regulations requirements where a major renovation is taking place under the scheme, a new gas or oil heating system could be recommended for installation and funded.
However, under the revised EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), Member States cannot provide financial incentives for the installation of stand-alone boilers powered by fossil fuels from 1 January 2025. Therefore, since January 1 2025, the SEAI does not recommend the installation of new stand-alone oil or gas boilers as an upgrade measure when surveying homes under this scheme.
Since 1 January, where a heating system upgrade is required under the Building Regulations for major renovations taking place under the scheme, the SEAI will instead assess the suitability of the home for a heat pump, and other renewable heating technologies, which are compliant with the EPBD. Homes surveyed and recommended for a boiler upgrade prior to 1 January are not affected by this change and planned works already communicated to homeowners, including boiler upgrades, will continue.
Based on provisional property upgrade data for 2024, 7,743 homes were upgraded under the scheme at an average cost of €27,411. Of this number 2,038 homes received a heating system upgrade as part of a major renovation. In some cases, no heating system existed prior to these upgrades. 49 homes had heat pumps installed and the remainder (1,989) had high-efficiency boilers installed to replace older, inefficient or broken systems.
