Highlights
- 2 billion invested by Government to support SEAI retrofits in communities and households all over the country
- Supports result in homes that are warmer, more comfortable, healthier and with lower energy bills
- Over 42,000 vulnerable, energy-poor homes benefitted from fully-funded upgrades
Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment Darragh O'Brien has today (Nov 11) announced that more than 300,000 home energy upgrades have been completed with Government support since 2019. The more than 300,000 energy upgrades have benefitted well over a quarter of a million individual houses (271,000). Over 42,000 of these were vulnerable, energy-poor households that benefitted from fully-funded (free) energy upgrades. All of these homes are now warmer and healthier, with lower energy bills. On this journey, more than 115,000 of these homes achieved a B2 energy rating or better. Over 22,000 heat pumps were installed.
Since 2019, SEAI (Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland) schemes have provided over 2 billion for communities and households - including the aforementioned home energy improvements. Looking across all schemes (if expenditure on Local Authority upgrades by the Department of Housing is included) the spend (in monetary terms) on vulnerable households and those at risk of energy poverty each year now accounts for more than 60% of the overall spend.
Momentum is growing, following the introduction of new measures, higher grants, and enhanced eligibility announced in January and again in October. The changes included the introduction of grants for windows and doors, increased grant for heat pumps, higher grants for certain Department of Social Protection payment recipients, as well as new supports for certain landlords.
So far this year, SEAI has received more than 120,000 applications, more than double the volume at the same point last year.
Commenting on this milestone, Minister O'Brien said:
"I am delighted that we have achieved this really significant milestone, whereby we have now completed more than 300,000 home energy upgrades. The recently enhanced measures to the home energy upgrade schemes are helping to deliver meaningful and long-lasting reductions in energy costs for households and businesses right across the country. Depending on the measure installed and the characteristics of the property, households could benefit from savings of up to nearly 900 per year. These grants are on top of the existing supports for energy upgrades, including insulation, window and door replacements and heat pumps. When installed as part of whole home upgrade, homeowners can save over 1,100 per year on their energy bills.
"Importantly, more than 42,000 households have benefited from fully funded upgrades through the warmer homes scheme, ensuring that those most in need of energy supports are not left behind in the transition to a cleaner more sustainable energy future. There are a number of recently enhanced measures to support households at risk of energy poverty, medically vulnerable customers, lower-income homeowners and renters. These will help to ensure that those who need support most can access the benefits of lower energy bills and warmer healthier homes.
"These enhanced measures, developed through the work of the National Energy Affordability Taskforce which I chair, form part of the Government's broader efforts to improve energy affordability, strengthen energy security and support the transition to a cleaner energy future. Budget 2027 allocated a record capital allocation of over 650 million for SEAI home and community energy upgrades, including more solar PV, new battery grants and a boiler scrappage scheme. The forthcoming Energy Affordability Action Plan, which I will bring to Government in the coming weeks, will set out a roadmap for improving energy affordability for households and businesses."
CEO of the SEAI (Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland), William Walsh, said:
"Behind these figures are people and families, in warmer, more comfortable homes, with more security over their energy bills. There is real momentum behind this work now. Every year we help more and more people, and with energy costs on the minds of many, especially at this time of year, I'd really encourage anyone thinking of upgrading to get in touch with us at SEAI, or check out our website www.seai.ie to see how to get started.
"Thanks to record Government support, the grants available have never been more generous - there really is an option for everyone now, regardless of where you're starting out from or what your budget is."
The recently enhanced measures include: solar PV and battery are now offered as standard under fully-funded Warmer Homes Scheme; more generous grants for solar, attic and cavity insulation for certain Department of Social Protection recipients and homes in HAP, RAS, and RASP tenancies; more favourable eligibility criteria for solar PV and solar thermal; a fossil fuel boiler scrappage support scheme; a home battery energy storage grant; and enhanced supports for businesses that will save thousands in energy costs.
For more information on home and business energy supports see the SEAI website: https://www.seai.ie.
