It’s easy being green
Top figures for attic insulation, internal insulation, the addition of solar and the improvement of heating controls and upgrades to a boiler run from €200 for attic insulation at floor level, to €800 for solar (a fixed grant) and these payments vary case by case.
The list of registered installers is critical to the application process and the materials going into your upgrades must be approved also
IF we do not sink under the shared weight of economic disaster in Europe, there is something to be hopeful about in Ireland’s green building and improvement sector.
Real results are appearing from the grants system and information delivered by the Better Energy Homes initiative and its earlier forms in the past five years.
State-supported energy efficiency programmes are reducing energy bills by on average €450 per annum and are sustaining up to 6,000 jobs.
The popular grant system run through Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has radically changed and developed, so if you want to apply ensure you understand what’s on the table by going straight to www.seai.ie.
This year, based on the current financial climate and proven results since the schemes began in 2006, certain grants have disappeared or have had their levels abruptly reduced. Some of what the SEIA term ‘recalibrations’ have resulted from the more competitive pricing that is appearing on the sustainable energy market.
The Better Energy Homes Scheme (also known at the National Energy Upgrade Programme) replaced the Greener Homes Scheme and Home Energy Saving Scheme on May 16.
It offers a number of different grants to upgrade houses built before 2006 when the building regulations did not reflect current demands for heating, the inclusion of a sustainable energy source and rigorous levels of insulation.
The grant aid now on offer has been slashed by 20%. Biomass boilers and stoves and heat pumps are no longer grant aided. Top figures for attic insulation, internal insulation, the addition of solar and the improvement of heating controls and upgrades to a boiler, run from €200 for attic insulation at floor level to €800 for solar (a fixed grant) and these payments vary case by case.
External wall insulation has escaped change from its original level of €4,000. It costs in the area of €10,000 (excluding grant aid) for a standard family home.
The minimum application for a grant must be €400 and the obligatory BER grant of €80 (to be carried out after the works) does not count towards the €400 minimum. There is a very strict format for applications, so don’t hire anyone or buy anything for the work you intend to have done, until you’ve read the procedure and conditions for your grant at www.seai.ie.
The list of registered installers is critical to the application process and the materials going into your upgrades must be approved also.
Despite biomass and heat pumps not being grant aided, it is worth applying for heating controls for these systems as part of a €400 plus application.
The most exciting extra development in the grant sector will be the evolution of the current system into the National Retrofit Programme (NRP). The Government has allocated an additional €30 million in 2011 to the Department of Communications Energy and Natural Resources for the programme.
What makes NRP different, is that an integral part of this new grant scheme will be a Pay as You Save element (PAYS), first proposed in Ireland by green construction campaigner and editor of Construct Ireland magazine, Jeff Colley. This would allow householders to pay for the energy improvements to their homes directly out of the money they are saving from the upgrades, a method that is already working in parts of the US and Canada.
Bord Gáis and the ESB are both showing keen interest in the retrofit scheme and this creative, non-punative solution for everyone to afford these often intimidating capital investments without overnight returns.
To find out more about the development of the National Retrofit Programme and the current Better Energy Homes scheme, simply log onto www.seai.ie. Click on ‘Grants’ to get a full outline of the products and services included. A list of qualified, approved suppliers and installers, plus everything you need to know about the grant application process is also available. Alternatively, call 1850-927000 for information.
1. Shop around for your oil. Oil prices can vary by the day. Use on-line tools and the telephone to check out the cheapest prices delivered for 1,000L. You’ll be surprised. I was! Try cheapestoil.ie for great online deals.
2. Power “off”. Your mobile charger is using 95% of its energy when left plugged in, and your PC screen a whopping 50%.
3. Get hands on with the controls. Vary your energy use according to the weather. If you wake on a December morning and it’s balmy, over-ride the settings.
4. Boil only as much water as you need. Boiling a litre of water in the kettle can take as much energy as it does to keep the fridge running for seven hours.
5. Shut those doors. Zoning your heated areas doesn’t just mean dancing over the digital controls but leaving some areas such as halls and bedrooms cooler.
6. Cool time period. Let the central heating system go off 20 minutes before going to bed. The house will retain enough heat for you not to notice the change.
7. Pay by Direct Debit. Most energy suppliers offer better prices for a DD payment. Check your account regularly to ensure your usage and payment is correct.
8. Dial it down by 1ºC. Just shifting from 21ºC to 20ºC can save you a warming 10% on your heating bill. You’ll barely notice and a cooler house is a healthier house.
9. Turn off those lights. If you cannot get the kids to turn off lights in corridors and occasionally lit areas, install timer push switches to do it for them.
10. Wash at 30ºC rather than 40ºC will save you 40% of the power in a standard machine. Regular hot washes at 60ºC for clothes will keep bacteria at bay.
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