Louth homes eligible for energy grant

UP to 38,500 homes in Louth could be eligible for new and increased home energy grants, it has been revealed.

Under the new scheme, up to €6,000 grant support is now available for external wall insulation.

According to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), the average homeowner spends €1,850 heating their homes each year but by properly insulating the walls of your home you could save as much as €600 per year on your heating bills.

So far, over 12,165 homes in Louth have availed of home energy grants and SEAI have introduced increased and additional grants for homeowners to make their homes more energy efficient, cheaper to run and more comfortable to live in.

Grants range from €300 for attic insulation, to €700 for upgrades to heating controls, all the way to €6,000 for external wall insulation. The grants typically cover one third of the total cost of the works for an average home. From April this year, a new grant of €3,500 for heat pumps will also be available. Heat-pumps are electrical devices which convert energy from the air outside of your home into useful heat, in the same way a fridge extracts heat from its inside. In well insulated houses they are very economical to run. They are an extremely efficient alternative to traditional oil, gas, solid fuel and electric home heating systems.

Commenting on the range of grants available to homeowners, Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Denis Naughten TD said: ‘As a country, we have a critically important task ahead to ensure our homes are energy efficient. This is why I secured increased government funding this year in Budget negotiations so these new and increased grants can be available to thousands more householders across the country and to encourage more investment in home energy improvements. All of us have a responsibility to act on climate change and improving our home’s energy performance is a significant step in decreasing our collective carbon footprint.’