Avail of a government grant.
Grant applied for by the contractor thus eliminating the paperwork and reducing the outlay to the homeowner
There are different types of grants available to you.
Indicative CO2 emissions and running costs for different rating bands.
Home Energy Saving scheme
The Home Energy Saving (HES) scheme provides assistance to homeowners who are interested in improving the energy efficiency of thier home in order to reduce energy use and costs as well as greenhouse gas emissions.The scheme is nationwide and all homeowners of dwellings built prior to 2006 may apply. Landlords and owners of multiple properties may also apply, however they must submit a seperate application form for each property. If you are a landlord or a management company considering an entire building upgrade, please contact SEAI before applying for the grant.The scheme is administered by Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland.
Assistance will be provided by way of fixed grants towards the costs of implementing upgrade measures. the types of measures currently eligible under this scheme are wall insulation,roof insulation and heating system upgrades. A grant is also available to homeowners for a Building Energy Rating (BER) which must be undertaken on thier home after grant aided works have been completed. Only one BER assesment will attract grant aid of €80.
The incentive is in the form of a Cash Grant. Cash grants are fixed, irrespective of home size, though where actual expenditure is lower than the grant value only the lower amount will be paid. Payment is by Electronic Funds Transfer to the applicant’s bank.
What Energy Efficient Works are incentivised?
Grants are available to eligible applicants for undertaking the following works, in accordance with the requirements contractor Code of Practice Technical Specification.
Energy Efficient Works |
Incentive |
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Cash Grant Value* |
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Insulation |
Attic Insulation |
€200 |
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Wall Insulation - Cavity |
€250 |
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Wall Insulation - Internal Dry Lining |
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Apartment (any) OR Mid- terrace House |
€900 |
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Semi-detached or End of Terrace |
€1,350 |
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Detached House |
€1,800 |
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Wall Insulation - External |
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Apartment (any) OR Mid- terrace House |
€1,800 |
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Semi-detached or End of Terrace |
€2,700 |
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Detached House |
€3,600 |
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Heating System |
Heating Controls with Boiler (Oil or Gas) Upgrade. |
€560 |
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Heating Controls Upgrade only |
€400 |
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Solar Heating |
€800 |
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Building Energy Rating (BER) |
€50**
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*Cash Grants are set value unless expenditure is below the set value, in which case the actual expenditure will be reimbursed.
**A Building Energy Rating (BER) is an integral part of all grant applications under the Better Energy Homes scheme, whereby homeowners must undertake a BER on their home after grant aided works have been completed. A homeowner is entitled to BER funding of €50 once per home. This funding will be applied to your grant application automatically provided you have never applied previously for BER funding. You will be informed during the online grant application process if BER funding is available for your home or as part of your Letter of Grant Offer if you have applied through the post. It is advisable that you apply for and undertake all planned grant aided works at the same time to minimise the costs of multiple BER assessments.
*** From December 8th 2011 internal and external wall insulation grants will no longer be one single amount, but rather be based upon the house type.
Please note the minimum grant amount for the first application must be €400. A BER grant, where applicable, does not count towards the €400 minimum. In the instance where a Contractor is completing works within his own home then only the cost of materials will be deemed qualifying expenditure. Grants are claimed after the measures are completed and the contractor has been paid by or entered a financing agreement with the homeowner.
Homeowners
The Greener Homes Scheme (the “Scheme”) provides assistance to homeowners who intend to purchase a new renewable energy heating system for existing homes. The scheme is administered by The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (“SEAI”) and aims to increase the use of renewable energy and sustainable energy technologies in Irish homes.
Using Renewable Energy for Heating
We, in Ireland are heavily reliant on fossil fuels which are a limited resource, cause emissions that are harmful to the environment and, as we have seen recently, can be subject to volatility of price and availability. The Irish Government wishes to reduce this reliance and move towards making greater use of our renewable energy resources. This diversification can be good for the economy because of the longer term availability and constancy of supply and good for the environment through the reduced emissions of Carbon Dioxide(CO2 ).
The main sources of renewable energy in Ireland are the sun (solar energy), the wind, moving water (hydropower, wave and tidal energy), geothermal (heat below the earths surface) and biomass (wood, certain wastes and energy crops). One of the main benefits of using renewable energy is that it reduces emissions of carbon dioxide. Ireland has an abundance of several of these resources and their effective development and use will reduce emissions of harmful greenhouse gases and our reliance on imported fossil fuels.
Homeowners can play their part by choosing a renewable heating system (solar, biomass or heat pump based) that meets their particular needs in terms of heat demand, budget and environmental considerations. Doing so will help Ireland move down a path towards more sustainable energy use, ultimately benefiting the environment.
Will a renewable energy heating system save me money?
Where a renewable energy technology uses a “free” energy source like sun shine, you no longer have to worry about fuel prices increasing. On the other hand heat pumps require electricity to operate and biomass equipment requires a wood based fuel – so both of these remain vulnerable to fuel / energy price fluctuations.
The guaranteed way to reduce your energy bills is to only generate as much heat as you require, at the time you want it, and to maximise the value of that heat by preserving it within your home. We strongly advise anyone planning to invest in a renewable heat system to investigate all methods of increasing the overall energy efficiency of their homes. Effective wall and attic insulation, good time and temperature controls of your heating and high performance windows will all reduce the heat required to have a warm and comfortable home. Purchasing household electrical equipment with an 'A' energy rating e.g. fridges, freezers, washing machines and light bulbs* reduces electricity consumption. This approach will have a significant impact on your energy bills and will also protect you from any price variation in your primary fuel source.
Why offer a grant?
Renewable energy heating systems are new technologies which, while proven and highly popular overseas, have yet to become widespread in Ireland. The Irish Government, through SEAI, wishes to encourage people over the next 5 years to green their homes by contributing to the initial investment cost of installing a renewable energy heating system. The government believes that this will help ensure a faster uptake of renewable heating systems which will underpin the development a long term market while enabling homeowners to play their part in reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
THE SUSTAINABLE ENERGY AUTHORITY OF IRELAND IS NOT, NOR CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE QUALITY OR WARRANTY OF ANY SYSTEMS INSTALLED.
