Mary White (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)

This Government has demonstrated its commitment to enhancing energy efficiency and prioritising conservation, with unprecedented funding for energy efficiency programmes, including the home energy-saving schemes, industry support programmes and the energy efficiency retrofit programme. As all speakers agreed last night, energy efficiency is not only the most cost-effective means of permanently reducing energy use but it also delivers considerable health and well-being benefits.

The new retrofit programme will seek to significantly increase the pace of the uptake of energy efficiency measures by radically changing the way householders are incentivised and supported. One of the most commonly identified barriers to retrofitting is that the upfront costs can appear prohibitive. Under the new proposals energy efficiency measures will be made more accessible through upfront discounts which will alleviate the need to wait for retrospective grant payments.

Ensuring that customers have the appropriate information to make informed energy use decisions is an important element in reducing energy demands. We will continue to develop the wellandwarm.ie site and will distribute a further print run of the very popular Well and Warm booklet.

The promotion of competition is essential to ensuring that alternative suppliers are available. I do not think Labour Party Deputies have acknowledged that customers can switch providers at no charge.

See this speech in context