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

My Department funds a number of grant schemes, administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) to support homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. The schemes offer grants for individuals who can afford to contribute to the cost of upgrades as well as free energy upgrades for people at risk of energy poverty.

The Better Energy Homes Scheme allows homeowners to take a step-by-step approach or self-manage the project, while the National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme (One-Stop-Shop scheme) and the Community Energy Grant Scheme are aimed towards homeowners wishing to undertake a whole home energy upgrade to achieve a BER of at least B2 with a minimum primary energy uplift of at least 100 kWh/m2/year.

The schemes provide grant support for a range of energy efficiency improvements to existing buildings owned by private homeowners, private landlords and Approved Housing Bodies.

The National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme and the Community Energy Grant Scheme both offer a start-to-finish project management service through registered One Stop Shops or Project Co-ordinators respectively. They apply for and draw down all SEAI grants for the project and deduct the grant values upfront from the cost of works meaning the costs incurred by homeowners are net of grant.

Under the Better Energy Homes homeowners have the options of:

1. Applying themselves and have the grant refunded once works are complete;
2. Applying themselves and have the grant paid to their contractor's bank account, who can choose to offer them a discount upfront; or,
3. Applying through a registered Energy Partner which will carry out the works for the homeowner and pass on the grant savings as a discount on the works. The Energy Partner can also help apply for low-cost government loans for the home energy upgrades via the Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme. Registered Energy Partners can be found listed on the SEAI website at: www.seai.ie/grants/home-energy-grants/how-to-apply/energy-partners/

Options 2 and 3 above recognise that not all homeowners will have the funds available upfront to cover the total cost of the upgrade. SEAI are examining ways in which these processes can be further streamlined and scaled up.