Written answers

Tuesday, 15 June 2021

Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment

Energy Conservation

Photo of Eoin Ó BroinEoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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185. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of homes on the waiting list for the warmer homes scheme; and the number of households by the qualifying social welfare payment. [30827/21]

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme delivers a range of energy efficiency measures free of charge to low income households vulnerable to energy poverty. The scheme is funded by my Department and administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). To date over 142,000 homes have received free upgrades leaving them better able to afford to heat their homes to an adequate level. The approximate average value of the energy efficiency measures provided to a household under the Better Energy Warmer Homes scheme was €14,800 in 2020. There are currently over 7,800 homes on the Warmer Homes work programme. SEAI data indicates that for homes completed in 2020, the average time from application to completion was approximately 18 months nationally. The average wait times are expected to increase significantly in 2021 due to the extensive COVID-19 related restrictions on construction activity between March and June of last year as well as between January and 12 April of this year when the scheme was fully paused in line with Government guidelines.  Works under the scheme have now recommenced in line with activity in the residential construction sector. 

The SEAI has advised me that the average wait times should only ever be used as a general guide and that wait times vary, based on the demand for the scheme at the time of application as well as other factors including the scale of works to be completed, access to the property, availability of materials and the weather. 

The below table provides the approximate share of homes on the work programme for each qualifying payment.

Qualifying Payment % Breakdown
Carers Allowance 12%
Domiciliary Care Allowance 10%
Fuel Allowance 71%
Job Seekers Allowance, and child under 7 1%
One-Parent Family Payment 1%
Working Family Payment 5%

Photo of Eoin Ó BroinEoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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187. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of item demand generation-national retrofit; and the breakdown of the current and capital expenditure. [30829/21]

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Programme for Government and the 2019 Climate Action Plan set ambitious targets to upgrade 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating of B2 or cost optimal, and to install 400,000 heat pumps in existing buildings by 2030. Generating additional demand for energy upgrades will be necessary in order to achieve these targets. SEAI has conducted qualitative and quantitative research among homeowners in order to clearly identify the most important benefits and most significant challenges associated with retrofit. This research shows that we need to convince homeowners of the comfort, cost and environmental benefits of home energy upgrades. We need to inform them of the availability of grants to support their efforts as well as free services for eligible energy poor homes. Finally we need to mitigate misgivings homeowners may have about cost of works and disruption.

SEAI Home Retrofit Demand Generation activity is constantly developing with successful programme promotion and awareness building ongoing. One recent example was actively targeting Heat Pump installations following the lifting of Covid lockdown restrictions in April. SEAI are also currently preparing a comprehensive national demand generation campaign which will commence in quarter three 2021. The campaign is currently being developed and is being informed by the insights above as well as the expertise of the Authority’s behavioural economics team. SEAI will also undertake a number of community based social marketing events in various locations around the country. These are targeted marketing campaigns underpinned by theories of behaviour change.

In 2021 the budget allocation for demand generation is €1.05 million (current expenditure) with approximately 10% of budget expended to date.

Photo of Eoin Ó BroinEoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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188. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the de-risking of a low-cost residential retrofit loan scheme; and the proposed eligibility criteria for beneficiaries. [30830/21]

Photo of Sorca ClarkeSorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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189. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has considered making low-cost loans available to families who wish to retrofit their homes. [30850/21]

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 188 and 189 together.

The Programme for Government and the 2019 Climate Action Plan set ambitious targets to upgrade 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating of B2 or cost optimal, and to install 400,000 heat pumps in existing buildings by 2030. These targets represent a very significant increase in both the volume and depth of retrofit activity in Ireland. The development of the national retrofit framework to achieve these targets is well underway.

My Department is engaging with the Department of Finance and the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland in relation to the development of a residential retrofit loan guarantee scheme.  This project has been selected for inclusion in Ireland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan.  The specific features of the scheme and the financial model of the guarantee are still under development.

The part-Exchequer and part-EU funded loan guarantee will provide risk protection to retail credit institutions participating in the scheme. This will enable credit institutions to offer loans with reduced interest rates and make comprehensive home energy efficiency upgrades more affordable to consumers. As a result, households will be able to enjoy more comfortable and healthier homes with a lower carbon footprint. 

The loan guarantee is expected to help to increase the volume of retrofit activity within the State and improve the recovery and resilience of the supply chain within the retrofit sector. The scheme will also signal to the banking sector new viable business opportunities associated with the transition to a low carbon economy.

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