Dr. Ciaran Byrne:

That is a how-long-is-a-piece-of-string question. I will qualify that by picking an example from the one-stop shop scheme. A semi-detached end-of-terrace house went from an E1 rating to an A2 rating in terms of BER. It was paid for privately. I will run the numbers then tell the Deputy where we stand. It cost €60,292 to do the work. There was a grant of €21,000 and a net cost of almost €38,000. For that, the customers got a heat pump, wall and ceiling insulation, solar panels, and ventilation. The windows and doors were also done. However, the issue we have, and this ties back in with the earlier question about ongoing data, is that the BER is static. For example, I might go to the Deputy's home and find it has a BER of C. If I to Deputy Paul Donnelly's home, which is next door and exactly the same home, I will find it has a C rating too. However, Deputy Ó Cathasaigh's energy costs may be way higher than Deputy Donnelly's because Deputy Donnelly might heat one room when he needs it, while Deputy Ó Cathasaigh's house is running like a sauna. The actual use of energy can vary significantly between homes of the same BER rating.