Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 80: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of households in the State in need of adequate insulation to meet national standards; and the amount it will cost to fully insulate these homes. [25199/11]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Acceptable thermal insulation levels for building elements (roofs, walls, floors, doors and windows) are specified in the technical guidance document (TGDL) published to accompany Part L (Conservation of Fuel and Energy) of the Building Regulations introduced by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. These requirements apply to new dwellings and, in certain circumstances, to works on existing dwellings which involve an extension, a material alteration or a material change of use having previously functioned as a building other than a dwelling. Minimum acceptable thermal insulation levels for new dwellings and existing dwellings, in the specific circumstances referred to earlier, have been revised upwards through amendments to Part L requirements signed into law in 2002, 2007 and 2011.

The recently published revisions to Part L in 2011 will further improve the current requirements ensuring newly built dwellings approved from 1st December 2011 will be constructed to the tightest energy standards in Europe. This will ensure only homes with higher insulation standards, producing lower levels of green house gas emissions are added to the stock in future.

Analysis by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) suggests that a programme to improve over 1 million homes to at least a C2 on the Building Energy Rating (BER) scale could cost in the order of €5.7 billion and lead to lifetime savings of €8.6 billion at an average of €500 saved per dwelling per annum from reduced energy spend. The total capital allocation for Better Energy in 2011 is €91.4 million. Future allocations will be determined in light of the Capital Spending Review and budgetary discussions.

Better Energy: Homes (formerly the Home Energy Savings (HES) Scheme) is administered by the SEAI and provides grant assistance to homeowners for energy efficiency retrofitting measures, including attic and wall insulation, high-efficiency boilers, heating controls and Building Energy Rating (BER) assessments. In 2011 to the end of August, 33,559 homeowners have undertaken 97,957 energy efficiency measures. Since the start of the scheme in May 2009, over €100 million has been paid to homeowners enabling 96,219 homes to undertake 233,822 energy efficiency measures.

Better Energy: Warmer Homes (formerly the Warmer Homes Scheme (WHS)) is intended to provide energy efficiency improvements at no cost to low-income homes. The scheme has addressed over 71,197 fuel poor homes since 2000 of which 11,197 have been delivered since the start of 2011 to the end of August.