My Department funds a number of grant schemes to support homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. These are administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). Since 2000, over 400,000 homeowners have upgraded their homes with support from these schemes. This has resulted in warmer, healthier and more comfortable homes that are easier to heat and light. This year approximately €121 million has been allocated to residential and community energy efficiency schemes and the Solar PV scheme.
The Programme for Government and the Climate Action Plan set ambitious targets for the number and depth of residential retrofits to be completed by 2030. The targets are to retrofit 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating of B2/cost optimal equivalent and to install 400,000 heat pumps in existing buildings over the next 10 years. Achievement of these targets will be supported by the Programme for Government commitment to ring-fencing a significant portion of future carbon tax receipts for a new €5 billion socially progressive retrofit fund. As part of the July Stimulus, I have taken the decision to increase the SEAI budget by €100 million in 2021.
The table below presents the grants schemes available, the number of grants availed of under each scheme and spend per scheme from 2016 to 2019.
|
2016
|
Number of new Applications
|
Number homes completed
|
Average € value of grant awarded
|
Total cost (€m)
|
|
Better Energy Homes
|
19,866
|
14,972
|
€1,168
|
€17.490
|
|
Better Energy Warmer Homes
|
8,146
|
6,743
|
€3,068
|
€20.688
|
|
Warmth &Wellbeing
|
257
|
71
|
€7,732
|
€0.549
|
|
Better Energy Communities
|
63 projects*
|
1,997
|
€4,892
|
€9.770
|
|
Better Energy Finance
|
3 projects*
|
60
|
€5,100
|
€0.306
|
|
2017
|
Number of new Applications
|
Number homes completed
|
Average € value of grant awarded
|
Total cost (€m)
|
|
Better Energy Homes
|
17,601
|
14,618
|
€1,196
|
€17.480
|
|
Better Energy Warmer Homes
|
12,863
|
6,555
|
€3,451
|
€22.621
|
|
Warmth &Wellbeing
|
508
|
360
|
€18,186
|
€6.547
|
|
Deep Retrofit Pilot
|
14 projects*
12 letters of offer issued (119 homes)
|
18 homes
|
€27,057/home**
|
€0.861***
|
|
Better Energy Communities
|
63 projects
|
1,965 homes
|
€7,150
|
€14.150
|
|
Better Energy Finance
|
3 projects
|
62
|
€2,903
|
€0.180
|
|
2018
|
Number of new Applications
|
Number homes completed
|
Average € value of grant awarded
|
Total cost (€m)
|
|
Better Energy Homes
|
20,766
|
14,238
|
€1,294
|
€18.430
|
|
Better Energy Warmer Homes
|
7,408
|
5,255
|
€6,758
|
€35.512
|
|
Warmth &Wellbeing
|
604
|
455
|
€26,960
|
€12.267
|
|
Deep Retrofit Pilot
|
39 projects
34 letters of offer issued (196 homes)
|
211 homes
|
€38,250/home**
|
€4.722***
|
|
Better Energy Communities
|
48 projects
|
1,188 homes
|
€9,377
|
€11.140
|
|
Better Energy Finance
|
3 projects
|
57
|
€4,842
|
€0.276
|
|
2019
|
Number of new Applications
|
Number homes completed
|
Average € value of grant awarded
|
Total cost (€m)
|
|
Better Energy Homes
|
26,661
|
18,531
|
€1,296
|
€24.045
|
|
Better Energy Warmer Homes
|
5,682
|
3,142
|
€12,671
|
€39.814
|
|
Warmth &Wellbeing
|
303
|
340
|
€24,600
|
€8.364
|
|
Deep Retrofit Pilot
|
64 projects
64 letters of offer issued (337 homes)
|
114 homes
|
€46,468/home**
|
€6.002***
|
|
Better Energy Communities
|
57
|
696 homes
|
€14,182
|
€9.871
|
|
Better Energy Finance
|
1 project
|
130
|
€6,154
|
€0.800
|
|
Solar PV
|
|
1,827
|
€2,485
|
€4.540
|
* Better Energy Communities, Better Energy Finance and Deep Retrofit applications are for projects, where each project includes a number of homes.
** The grant per home is the amount awarded in principle at the start of the project and is comprised of the expected capital costs, project management, BER design and consultancy, BER and airtightness test costs pre and post works and the potential airtightness bonus. Projects awarded grants in a given year are frequently not completed within that year and the overall amount drawn down can be lower than the grant awarded. The average grant amount for completed homes across the scheme as of March 2020 was in the order of €32,000 per home. This includes capital costs, project management, BER design and consultancy, BER and airtightness test costs pre and post works and the potential airtightness bonus.
*** The total cost reflects the amount paid out in a given year including payments for projects fully completed, and either fully paid or where the final measurement and verification payment is pending, as well as milestone payments for projects to be completed in the following year.
