Making Cents: Avail of grants for sustainable living indoors

When it comes to sustainable living, one of the main ways we can make a difference is in our own homes.

From insulation to solar electricity, there are many options for homeowners who want to live in a more environmentally friendly way.

But these improvements come with a price tag, in some cases a significant one.

In order to assist those who may put off making changes due to the costs involved, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) provides a range of grants to help reduce energy waste in the home.

As an added bonus, many of these improvements will also make the home a more comfortable living space and add to its value, should you wish to sell down the line.

Fiona Smith, SEAI marketing and communications manager,  is clear about where you need to start.

“Your first step should be to get a Building Energy Rating for your home,” she says.

“This will show you the energy performance of the home and comes with an advisory report that suggests what works should be done to improve the home’s energy rating.”

The SEAI provide grants to install insulation, upgrade your heating system or install solar energy systems to provide electricity or hot water.

So where should homeowners start?

Improving your insulation should be your first priority – it ensures you keep all your valuable heat in your home,” Ms Smith says.

“By properly insulating the attic and walls of your home, you can save up to €600 per year on your heating bills.”

The SEAI then recommends addressing your heating system, ideally replacing old, inefficient boilers with a heat pump which uses renewable energy.

For the more ambitious, there are also grants to install rooftop solar to heat hot water or to generate electricity.

“It is up to you to decide how much work to engage in, depending on your budget and level of ambition,” Ms Smith says.

“Many homeowners will achieve a B2 by doing wall and attic insulation and installing a heat pump.”

It is important to note that the grants will not cover the full price of the job.

The cost of work will depend on a number of factors, including how efficient your house is in the beginning.

Typically, the SEAI says, the grant covers about one third of the cost of works.

To use the example of average costs and typical grants for a semi-detached home, attic insulation will cost around €1,000, of which the grant covers €400 and the householder €600.

At the higher end, external wall insulation will cost around €14,000.

Of this, the homeowner can expect to pay €9,500, with grant support of €4,500.

Given the costs, how long, does it take for improved systems to pay for themselves in terms of reduced bills?

“The length of time it will take for an energy upgrade to pay for itself in cost savings depends on a number of factors such as the size of your home, and how efficient it was in the beginning,” says Ms Smith.

“Lower cost measures like attic and cavity wall insulation might typically pay for themselves in say four or five years.

“For more significant measures like say external wall insulation or heat pumps, payback could extend to eight or 10 or even more years.

"You should always discuss the likely payback with your BER assessor or contractor to get a more accurate estimate for your particular home.

However, the instant payback for you is in the increased comfort levels in your home, reduced energy bills and you are reducing your carbon footprint, thus doing your bit for climate action.

To be eligible for a SEAI grant you must own your own home.

Your home must have been built and occupied before 2006 for all insulation and heating control upgrades and before 2011 for heat pumps, solar water heating and solar electricity.

Has Ms Smith any suggestions on how to make the application easier for people who are interested?

“Before applying we always advise people to talk with friends, family members, neighbours or colleagues who got similar works done,” she says.

“Ask them their advice on their experiences. Then shop around and get different quotes.

”You can apply online at www.seai.ie/homeenergygrants and you must have grant approval in place before works start.

"Once in place, you have eight months to complete the works and claim the grant.”

Homeowners can either select a registered energy partner, who will manage the grant application for you and carry out the work or select an SEAI registered contractor.

There are bonuses available for homes that undertake multiple works.

“You receive a bonus of €300 if you carry out three energy upgrades in your home and €400 if you carry out four energy upgrades,” says Ms Smith.

“You can apply for more than one grant at one time.

"You can also apply for individual grants over a period of time and you will still receive the bonuses.

“Solar electricity is excluded from bonus measures.”