SEAI home energy upgrade grants

WICKLOW householders are being encouraged to apply for Government-funded grants for home energy upgrades.

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has revealed that 8,601 homes in the Garden County have received home energy upgrade grants.

SEAI has individual grants for insulation, renewable home heating, heating controls, and solar PV. The grants are for amounts ranging from €400 up to €6,000 depending on the works to be undertaken and the size of house, and typically cover 30 per cent of the upgrade cost. Some works, such as roof insulation or cavity wall insulation, can typically pay for themselves through lower energy bills.

Tom Halpin, Head of Communications with SEAI said: ‘ The last six months has shown us that our homes really are our havens and something that we need to invest in and maintain. Homeowners who invest in home energy upgrades and avail of SEAI’s grants will feel the benefits of living in a warmer home almost instantly.

‘ The most common question SEAI is asked is – where do I start? We’d recommend starting with a BER assessment carried out by a SEAI registered BER assessor. The BER certificate and accompanying advisory report will set out what works you can undertake to improve the energy performance of your home and in what order these works should be prioritised.’

The Building Energy Rating (BER), indicates the energy performance of a home.

More information on the grants is available at the SEAI’s website, www.seai.ie.