Dr. John Curtis:

The Deputy spoke about community energy advisers and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. We have discussed some of the research with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Community energy advisers are not just needed for low-income households but right across the spectrum. There is a lack of independent advice. We are doing some work with colleagues. People might think they need to replace their windows with double glazing or whatever, but if they had independent advice on what was best for their house, for the same money they might have had a better option. From work we have done we have found households mostly rely on their neighbour, builder or plumber, but with new technology and materials they may not always be best informed.

SEAI has a number of grant schemes. The names can be confusing and they apply to different levels of income. The scheme with the biggest uptake is the Better Energy Homes scheme. It offers a 30% to 35% grant on the cost. That scheme essentially requires people to co-finance the remaining 65% to 70%. In that sense, as a grant scheme it has been very positive, but many people who cannot afford that extra amount are excluded.