Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 March 2024
123. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will report on the retrofitting of solid fuel homes; how many solid fuel homes were retrofitted; how many solid fuels homes have been retrofitted with solid fuel boilers in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, broken down per SEAI scheme, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12952/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Climate Action Plan and National Retrofit Plan set ambitious targets to retrofit the equivalent of 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating (BER) of B2/cost optimal and the installation of 400,000 heat pumps in existing homes to replace older, less efficient heating systems by end-2030.
To promote and incentivise the achievement of these targets, the Government has put in place a 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.
SEAI domestic retrofit programmes are available to all households, including those reliant on solid fuel for heating, who wish to undertake energy upgrades and who meet the programme criteria.
In recent years, demand across the SEAI residential and community energy upgrade schemes has been exceptionally high. Data from SEAI shows that in the period 2020 to end-February 2024, just over 115,000 property upgrades have been supported through the residential and community energy upgrade schemes, including the Solar PV scheme. Of these, almost 36,400 have been upgraded to a post works building energy rating of B2 or better. Almost €730 million has been provided in capital expenditure in the same period.
A record capital budget of €437.2 million for SEAI residential and community energy upgrade schemes has been allocated for 2024. The overall allocation will mean that the progress made last year under the National Retrofit Plan will be further built on in 2024.
A more detailed overview of the SEAI performance against annual targets on the residential and community energy efficiency schemes can be found in their recently published Annual Review 2023 report, which can be found on the SEAI website at: www.seai.ie/publications/SEAI-Retrofit-Full-Year-Report-2023.pdf.
Data provided by SEAI in the attached table shows the number of solid fuel heated properties supported with SEAI grant funding in each of the years 2020 to end of February 2024.
