Retrofits Remain Strong With 38,000 Home Energy Upgrades in First Three Quarters of 2024

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) published details on the 38,000 home energy upgrades supported through Government funded grant schemes in the first nine months of 2024. This represents an increase of 11% on the number of upgrades for the same period last year, showing continued momentum in home retrofitting.

Government expenditure across all schemes reached €279 million, up 34% year on year. Of the homes upgraded, 5,255 were energy-poor homes which benefitted from totally free energy upgrades.

The headline outcomes during the first nine months of 2024, across all schemes administered by SEAI, were:

—  48,300 applications processed across all schemes, up 3% over the same period in 2023.

—  38,000 property upgrades were completed, up 11% over the same period in 2023.

—  Over 15,000 homes were upgraded to a BER B2 or higher, up 24% over the same period in 2023.

—  Over 5,255 upgrades for energy poverty qualifying households, up 26% on the same period in 2023.

—  Expenditure across all schemes was €279 million, up 34% on the same period in 2023.

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

“Our retrofitting programme continues to expand which means that more and more people are waking up in warmer, more efficient and healthier homes every year. While we often talk ourselves down in Ireland, when I tell other energy and climate Ministers across Europe about our robust retrofitting rates, they are amazed at the percentage of homes we are reaching, year on year. We cannot be complacent, however, and we have to keep pushing on, particularly with our programme of free retrofitting for low income and energy poor homes. We must ensure that everyone can benefit from the clean, green energy solutions that are available.”

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

“As has been the case for some time now solar PV is proving a very attractive technology for homeowners. And while application levels in some of the schemes have been somewhat flat in the most recent quarter, there has also been a general uplift in application levels towards the end of the quarter and into Q4. This is likely because during the summer months homeowners focus is often elsewhere. It is only when the colder weather arrives that homeowners focus tends to return to retrofit.

“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 supports for homeowners availing of the Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Scheme, and a new training incentive for heat pump installers.

Dr Byrne continued:

“Several scheme developments are likely to drive interest and participation in both the short and medium term. These include the support scheme for homeowners affected by Defective Concrete Blocks launched in September and the low interest Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme with more institutions due to sign up in the coming months. We are also excited about the traditional buildings pilot programme launched in October, which will provide vital evidence and data which will hopefully unlock access to grants for these typically harder to treat homes”.

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