Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 5 February 2025
60. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of applicants to the warmer homes scheme in Louth; and the number of these applications outstanding in the years 2020 to 2024. [2267/25]
View answerThe Warmer Homes Scheme is a free energy upgrade scheme which aims to improve the energy efficiency and warmth of homes owned by people in, or at risk of, energy poverty. It is operated by the Sustainable Authority of Ireland (SEAI) on behalf of my Department and is funded through the Exchequer and the European Regional Development Fund. The scheme has been in existence in different forms since 2000 and, over the intervening period, has provided upgrades to over 160,000 homes.
2024 saw a record spend of almost €230 million under the scheme. This funded 7,743 free upgrades for low-income households, an increase of 31% on 2023. A budget allocation of €280 million has been provided for the Warmer Homes Scheme this year. The funding increases in recent years have supported the delivery of a greater volume of deeper and more complex upgrades. While these deeper upgrades take longer to complete, they result in more lower income homeowners benefitting significantly from warmer, healthier and more comfortable dwellings, with lower energy bills and reduced emissions.
This improvement in the upgrades provided under the scheme, in tandem with increased awareness of the multiple benefits of retrofit, are driving significantly increased levels of demand. Applications to the scheme are assessed on a first-come basis by the SEAI. Homes with the worst Building Energy Ratings (E, F or G) are then prioritised for works. No other prioritisation takes place under the scheme. Significant reductions in the average waiting time for works to be completed have been achieved, reducing from 26 months in 2022, to 18 months for the worst performing homes (rated E, F and G) completed in 2024.
I am advised that from 2020 to the end of 2024, there were 850 applications to the scheme from homeowners in County Louth, with 335 homes outstanding and at various stages of the Warmer Homes Scheme process as at the end of December 2024.
