Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 105: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when the national energy efficiency retrofit programme will be launched in view of the difficulties (details supplied) with expenditure in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10106/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The National Energy Retrofit Programme, announced on Budget Day is a major initiative which will reduce energy costs and carbon emissions in homes and business while also creating jobs and developing a sustainable market for energy services. It will significantly reduce CO2 emissions and contribute to meeting the national efficiency targets including the target of 33% set for the public sector. It will also create significant employment in the energy and construction sectors in support of economic renewal and building the Smart Economy.

The detailed design and specification of the new programme is being finalised by my Department and SEI. The Programme will be the subject of public consultation shortly. In broad terms the Retrofit Programme will bring together the Home Energy Savings Scheme (HES) and the Warmer Homes Scheme (WHS), as well as support programmes for business and the public sector. It will also involve the development and promotion of energy services by the energy companies.

Pending the introduction of the overall Retrofit Programme, the HES and the WHS are fully open for business with applications being received and processed by SEI.

The HES Scheme which is administered by SEI, provides grant assistance to homeowners for energy efficiency retrofitting measures including attic and wall insulation, very high-efficiency boilers, heating controls and Building Energy Rating (BER) assessments.

The scheme is open to anybody owning a house that was built prior to 2006. Homeowners can expect to save up to €700 per year on their energy bills if they install the full suite of measures available under the scheme. The scheme offers grants of up to 40% of the typical cost of energy efficiency upgrade measures, depending on the measure concerned.

The scheme, which was launched in March 2009, had attracted 40,724 applications by the end of 2009. Some €16.26 million was paid out by SEI by the end of the year, representing 33,434 energy efficient measures installed in 18,183 homes. The scheme allows homeowners six months, from the date of grant approval, to have the work undertaken. Applications, take up and expenditure trends in January and to date in February have been most encouraging with over 1,000 applications per week on average.