Written answers

Tuesday, 2 December 2008

Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

Departmental Schemes

9:00 pm

Photo of Mary UptonMary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 106: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the details of the way a person can apply and benefit from the warmer homes scheme or the home energy saving scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43651/08]

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The Warmer Homes Scheme is overseen by Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI), and is targeted at households on low incomes, such as those in receipt of fuel allowance, invalidity or disability benefit. The Warmer Homes Scheme will install cavity wall insulation, attic insulation, a boiler lagging jacket, draught proofing measures and Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs). Advice is also provided to householders on minimising energy use. These measures are provided free or at a nominal cost.

The service is delivered principally through community based organisations. There are 20 such groups currently approved by SEI. Applications for assistance under the Scheme should be made via the relevant community organisation, details of which can be found under the grants section of SEI's website (www.sei.ie/grants).

Householders in receipt of energy efficiency improvements under the Scheme can potentially reduce their energy consumption by up to 60%, depending on the number of measures implemented and their energy behaviour. Funding of €10 million has been made available for this Scheme in 2009, which includes a contribution of €5 million from ESB and Bord Gáis.

The Home Energy Saving Scheme, which is also managed by SEI, will provide grant assistance to householders generally to install energy efficiency measures from next year. I launched the Scheme on a pilot basis earlier this year, in a selected number of areas and with a budget of €5 million. The pilot Scheme is grant aiding cavity wall insulation, wall lining insulation, external insulation, attic insulation, heating controls and low-e double glazing. This pilot phase is informing the design of the wider roll out of the Scheme in 2009 for which provision of €20 million has been made. The operational details of the Scheme are in the process of being finalised and I expect to be in a position to make an announcement in respect of new applications later this year.

Indicative results from the pilot phase indicate that supported upgrade actions can bring a house from an F-rating starting point on the Building Energy Rating (BER) scale to a D2 rating. This represents an energy saving of up to €700 per year for each house, equating to reduced CO2 emissions of 3 tonnes.

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