Government supported 25,750 home energy upgrades in first half of 2024

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) today published details on the 25,750 home energy upgrades supported through Government funded grant schemes in the first half of 2024. This represents an increase of 18% on the number of upgrades for the same period last year and shows the ongoing surge in home retrofitting.

Government expenditure across all schemes reached €186 million, up 44% year on year. Of the homes upgraded, 3,300 were energy-poor homes which benefitted from totally free energy upgrades.

The headline outcomes during Q2 2024, across all schemes administered by SEAI, were:

—  25,750 property upgrades were completed to mid-year, up 18% over the same period in 2023.

—  Over 10,150 homes were upgraded to a BER B2 or higher to mid-year, up 34% over the same period in 2023.

—  Over 3,300 of the upgrades completed to mid-year were for low-income households, up 41% on the same period in 2023.

—  The average cost per home under this particular scheme is €26,400.

—  Over 31,500 applications were processed across all schemes to mid-year, which remains unchanged over the same period in 2023.

—  Expenditure across all schemes to mid-year was €186 million, up 44% on the same period in 2023.

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan TD said:

“Today’s report shows continued momentum and strong delivery across the SEAI retrofit schemes. We’re going to build on this progress in the coming months as the impact of initiatives such as the recently launched retrofit communications campaign and the low-cost retrofit loan take effect.

“I particularly welcome the 41% increase in the delivery of upgrades for households at risk of energy poverty under the Warmer Homes Scheme. This means that 3,300 low-income households have received upgrades and are now living in warmer, healthier and more comfortable homes with lower energy bills and lower emissions. This half-year report is a snapshot in time, but our retrofitting programme is a longer-term one stretching over the coming six years. We have to keep this upward trajectory going so that even more homes will be transformed over the coming months and years.”

Dr Ciaran Byrne, Director of National Retrofit at SEAI, said:

“2024 is shaping up to be another significant year of delivery, with strong demand being shown across all the major retrofit programmes. The current delivery of retrofits comes from the existing pipeline of applications, and the key to ongoing strong delivery is having an active pipeline of applications. While there is some evidence to suggest that the application pipeline for some schemes may be softening, we anticipate this picking up later in the year as the benefit of the Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme begins to be seen, particularly as more lenders are now signed up to the scheme.”

“The Government, Department of Environment, Climate and Communications and SEAI have taken several actions during 2024 designed to increase homeowner demand and supply chain participation. These include a new phase of SEAI’s multi-annual marketing and communications campaign, new support for homeowners availing of the Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Scheme, and a new training incentive for heat pump installers.

Dr Byrne continued:

“On the supply chain side, it is particularly encouraging to see the launch, by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS), of a new Domestic Heat Pump Installation Incentivisation Scheme for plumbers. This scheme will give an incentive of up to €500 where plumbers take time off work to upskill as SEAI registered heat pump installers.

It is expected that by helping to offset these costs, the scheme will allow small and medium contractors to upskill their staff, gain extra capacity in an area that is in increasing demand, and help plumbers to future-proof their careers. It is anticipated that up to 300 plumbers will avail of the scheme between now and the end of the year and this could have a major positive impact on the supply chain for heat pump installers.”

For more information on Home Energy Upgrades, visit www.seai.ie/home-energy/home-upgrades.