Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

194. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland better energy grant requirement for a technical assessment to ensure that the home is heat-pump ready for heat-pump replacements will be removed in houses that already have a heat pump in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50115/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Programme for Government and Climate Action Plan set ambitious targets to retrofit the equivalent of 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating (BER) of B2/cost optimal and the installation of 400,000 heat pumps in existing homes to replace older, less efficient heating systems by end-2030. Heat pump heating systems are most efficient when they operate in homes with a low level of heat loss. The metric used to determine whether the dwelling has a sufficiently low level of heat loss is the “Heat Loss Indicator” (HLI).

Homeowners that apply for SEAI heat pump grants are required to undergo a technical assessment to ensure that the home has a suitably low HLI. This is to ensure the new heat pump system is appropriate for the home and protects the homeowner from excessive heating costs. This requirement applies to all homes regardless of the existing heating system. There are no plans to remove this requirement at this time.