In 2009, the Green Party started a number of government schemes to help Irish people make their homes warmer and more energy efficient. These schemes have delivered energy saving upgrades to over 100,000 houses in Ireland already.

Want a warmer home that’s less expensive to heat?

There are several schemes available from the Government. One of them should suit your needs. The three main schemes for house-holders are:

1. Home Energy Saving Scheme
2. Greener Homes Scheme
3. Warmer Homes Scheme

You can find more information on Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland’s (SEAI) website www.SEAI.ie or at the links below.
 
1. Home Energy Saving Scheme - Grants for people on middle incomes. This provides grants for insulation, improved energy heating systems and controls and surveys to provide you with your home’s energy rating.

• Roof Insulation - grants up to €250
• Wall Insulation -includes either cavity wall, internal dry lining or external insulation, -grants up to €4000
• Replacement High Efficiency (> 90%) Gas or Oil fired Boilers with Heating Controls Upgrade -up to €700
• Heating Controls Upgrade -up to €500
• BER assessment after improvements (compulsory) - €100

The minimum grant request (not including BER) must be €500.

To find out if this scheme would benefit your home take the smart online Home Energy Self Survey.

For more information visit www.SEAI.ie/HES call SEAI on Lo-Call 1850 927 000

You can find contractors registered with the SEAI here. Please note that your chosen contractor must appear on the Registered Contractor List, at the date of application and on the date of completion of the upgrade works. If you need a hard copy of the list, you can call 1850 927 000.
 

2. Greener Homes Scheme - Grants for people on middle incomes. This provides grants for new renewable energy heating systems in existing homes.

• Solar Heating – grants up to €1,800
• Heat Pumps– grants up to €3,500 
• Wood Chip or Pellet Stoves – with or without integral boiler– grants up to €2,500
• Wood Gasification Boiler - grant up to €2,000

For more information visit www.SEAI.ie/GreenerHomes or call SEAI on Lo-Call 1850 734 734
The lists of registered installers for this scheme can be found here.

 3. Warmer Homes Scheme - Free or low-cost upgrades for people on lower incomes. This scheme improves the energy efficiency and comfort conditions of homes.

Community based organisations carry out the work which includes attic insulation, draught proofing of external doors, lagging jackets, energy efficient lighting and energy advice.

In the Dún Laoghaire Rathdown area there are two organisations that carry out this work: CHIP (T:01 467 0344) and Energy Action (T: 01 454 5464).

What's next?
It makes sense that we develop a retrofit programme for Ireland. Over half of our buildings were built before 1980 and are losing vast amounts of energy, heat and ultimately wasting money.

The Green Party will use €500 million from the National Pension Reserve Fund to retrofit a million homes by 2020, creating thousands of construction jobs.