Written answers

Tuesday, 8 November 2022

Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment

Energy Conservation

Photo of Richard BrutonRichard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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100. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will list the energy efficiency obligated entities for the most recent year for which data is available; the energy savings credits which they earned through delivery of efficiencies; and the proportion in each case which was delivered by buying credits. [54182/22]

Photo of Richard BrutonRichard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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101. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will indicate the extent to which the annual target of energy efficiency obligated entities will increase in 2023 compared to the existing obligation. [54183/22]

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 100 and 101 together.

The Energy Efficiency Obligation Scheme (EEOS) places legal requirements on larger energy companies to help energy users save energy. The EEOS has been in place since 2014 and contributes significantly to the delivery of Ireland’s energy saving target under the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED). Between 2014 and 2020, obligated parties supported energy efficiency actions in more than 290,000 dwellings and over 3,000 businesses. These savings represent an offset in CO2 emissions of around 1.2 Mt and recurring financial savings of approximately €240 million per year. No obligated parties bought out a share of their target during that period.

In 2022 the following entities received targets under the EEOS:

- Bord Gais Energy

- Bord na Mona

- Calor Gas

- Coyle Coal

- Electric Ireland

- Energia

- Enprova (a subsidiary of Fuels for Ireland which represents the following obligated parties: Circle K; Valero Energy; Ted Castles Oil Products; Irving Oil; Inver Energy; and Maxol)

- Flogas

- Flogas Enterprise (formerly Naturgy Ltd)

- LCC Group

- PrepayPower

- SSE Airtricity

In 2021, the most recent year for which data is available, obligated parties under the EEOS delivered approximately 406 GWh of energy savings (i.e. 406 million kWh of energy savings). No obligated parties bought out a share of their target.

The EEOS has been redesigned in response to amendments to the Energy Efficiency Directive and climate priorities and was informed by an extensive public consultation and a detailed economic analysis. The new scheme will be introduced in January 2023.

In 2022 EEOS energy saving targets were issued to obligated parties, totalling approximately 398 GWh (i.e. 398 million kWh) of energy savings. It is anticipated that the target for 2023 will be approximately 644 GWh of energy savings.

Photo of Richard BrutonRichard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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102. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if the requirement to have a minimum efficiency uplift, a requirement to achieve a B2 rating or better, prevents the achievement of cheaper and shallower measures which could deliver rapid reductions in energy use at this time of heightened energy uncertainty. [54184/22]

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Climate Action Plan set ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the residential sector from 7.9 Mt CO2 eq. in 2018 to between 3.5-4.5 Mt CO2 eq. in 2030. Key measures to achieve this target include retrofitting the equivalent of 500,000 homes to a BER B2/cost optimal level and installing 400,000 heat pumps in existing homes to replace older, less efficient heating systems by end-2030.

Earlier this year, Government launched a range of enhanced supports to make it easier and more affordable for homeowners to retrofit their homes. In addition to 100% funded retrofits for energy poor households, grant supports are available for those seeking to undertake deep retrofits as well as for homeowners that wish to take a step by step approach by installing individual or shallow measures. For example, enhanced grant rates of up to 80% of the typical cost are available for attic insulation and cavity wall insulation as well as a €700 grant available to support the installation of heating controls. These supports are available under the Better Energy Homes Scheme and no minimum uplift or requirement to achieve a B2 rating applies.

Separately, the Energy Efficiency Obligation Scheme (EEOS) has been in place since 2014 to help achieve our EU targets under the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED). The EEOS places legal requirements on large energy companies, known as ‘obligated parties’, to achieve energy savings. For the residential sector, these savings can be achieved by supporting the householder (financially or otherwise) to carry out energy upgrades on their property. A new, redesigned EEOS will commence on 1 January 2023. The scheme has been redesigned in response to amendments to the Energy Efficiency Directive and the Government’s climate priorities. While the changes introduced place a requirement on obligated parties to help homeowners to achieve a minimum uplift to achieve part of their targets, the new EEOS also continues to allow obligated parties to help those carrying out their retrofit through individual/shallow measures.

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