National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme and the Homeowner…
Grants are available through the National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme to improve your home's energy efficiency. Your home should have an energy efficiency rating of B2 or above once the work is finished. Grants are administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), and a commercial company handles the job on your behalf. These companies are called One Stop Shops, and the scheme is also known as the One Stop Shop Service.
If you only want to make a few home energy modifications and would rather handle the procedure yourself, the SEAI also offers Individual Energy Upgrade Grants. For those with modest means, there is also a Fully Funded Energy Upgrade program. Your home should have an energy efficiency rating of B2 or above once the work is finished.
How the One Stop Shop Service Works:
Please refer to: https://www.seai.ie/grants/home-energy-grants/one-stop-shop/
In order to get this grant, you must use a private firm registered with the SEAI (also known as One Stop Shops). Your home will be upgraded to a BER rating of B2 or higher, and they will oversee the entire project on your behalf.
The company will:
· Complete a preliminary energy assessment of your home and give you advice on the improvements you should make to get it up to a B2 BER rating or higher
· Apply for and accept SEAI grants for your home
· Assign a contractor to do the work
· Manage the works at your home to ensure everything is up to standard
· Complete the final BER assessment once the work is finished
These companies subtract the grants from the cost of the works in advance, so you only pay what is outstanding. Some of these operators also provide finance options, so you have different ways to pay for the outstanding cost of the works.
How Do I Qualify for the Grants?
To qualify for a grant, you must:
Be the owner of a property built and occupied before 2011 for insulation, heating control systems and renewable systems grants
Have a home with a BER of B3 or lower before the work
Reach a BER of at least B2 after the work and have a BER improvement of 100kWh/m2 per year
Not have already used grants for the same energy upgrades
Use an SEAI registered company (One Stop Shop) to manage the process for you
What Energy Upgrade Grants can I get under this Scheme?
Under this scheme, you can get grants for:
Attic insulation
Rafter level insulation
Wall insulation - including cavity wall, internal dry-lining and external insulation
Floor insulation
Heating controls
Solar thermal solutions (solar hot water)
Solar PV panels (solar electric)
Heat pump systems and associated central heating system
New windows
New external doors
Mechanical ventilation
Air-tightness
Home energy assessment
Project management
S J CARROLL & CO ARCHITECTS can provide full architectural services in connection with your project. We can be contacted at simon@sjcarrollarchitects.ie or 086 8293293
