Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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211. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of smart electricity meters installed; the geographic distribution of the smart meters installed; and the amount of funding that has been spent on the installation of smart meters. [27836/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The National Smart Metering Programme will roll out and install 2.4 million meters by 2024 and in the process make available new products and services to energy consumers. It is co-ordinated by the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) with ESB Networks (ESBN) delivering the electricity meter rollout.

The meter rollout is taking place on a phased basis, with around 40,000 meters installed monthly. The total number of smart meters installed at present is just over 1.3 million. The focus to date is on, replacing single phase, 24 hour register meters. The replacement of Day/Night meters and 24 hour register 3 phase meters begins in Q4, 2023.

The replacements started in five planner groups at the end of 2019 with the last planner group starting in Feb 2023 so that smart exchanges are now happening nationally. The following is the geographic spread based on ESB Networks Planner Groups:

The investment spend to date totals €527m. This will facilitate the installation of up to 2.4m smart meters, introduction of Time of Use tariffs, the facilitation of interval data availability to all smart meter customers, Smart Pay As You Go services and near real time data in the home.

With this volume of smart meters already installed Ireland has now achieved a critical mass. The next step is to ensure that we maximise the benefits of this critical public infrastructure for consumers and for the resilience of our energy system as we accelerate its decarbonisation.

As the rollout of the National Smart Metering Programme is co-ordinated by CRU and the ESBN, my Department does not maintain oversight on the day-to-day of Smart Metering. In terms of more detailed area specific information on the National Smart Metering Programme, CRU provides a dedicated email address for Oireachtas members, at oireachtas@cru.ie for timely direct reply.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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212. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of smart heating controls grants awarded in 2022 and Q1 2023; the geographic spread, per local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27840/23]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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213. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the funding allocated for smart heating controls grants in 2022; and how much of this was drawn down in 2022. [27841/23]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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214. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the funding allocated for smart heating controls grants in 2023; and how much of this has been drawn down to date in 2023. [27842/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 212 to 214, inclusive, together.

The installation of heating controls is one of the energy efficiency measures supported under the SEAI administered grant schemes. Heating controls are an excellent way to control a household's energy usage and improve comfort. A grant of €700 is available towards the cost of installing heating controls. This is available under all of the part-funded residential retrofit schemes. Heating controls can also be installed as part of a wider retrofit under the fully funded Warmer Homes scheme.

Figures in relation to the total number and geographic spread of heating controls installed are not routinely supplied by the SEAI to my Department. The majority of grants for heating controls are paid out under the Better Energy Homes scheme which provides individual grants for a range of measures, allowing homeowners to take a step-by-step approach to their retrofit.

There is no ring-fenced budget allocation for heating control measures. Budget 2023 has allocated approximately €360 million in total for residential and community retrofit schemes, including a capital allocation for the Better Energy Homes scheme of €48.5 million.

Under the Better Energy Homes scheme in 2022, 1,602 grants for heating controls were paid out at a cost of €1.15m. To end April 2023, 428 grants for heating controls were paid out at a cost of just under €300k.

However, heating controls are also installed where heat pumps are installed, and as part of more extensive upgrade projects under the One Stop Shop, Community Energy Grant and Warmer Homes schemes. These are not included in the above figures.