Retrofitting and Renovation

Well insulated homes are comfortable, cheaper to run and bring health benefits.

Studies have shown that warmer indoor temperatures can lead to fewer hospital and doctor visits for those with underlying health conditions. There are a number of grants available to people looking to renovate and retrofit their houses to make them more energy efficient. A good building contractor, architect or energy advisor will be able to provide more information on what renovation and retrofitting options are available. You can find a list of contractors registered with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland on its website.

Some of the grants available include:

• Housing adaption grant. The grant can help towards making changes and adaptations to the home, for example, making it wheelchair-accessible, extending it to create more space, adding a ground-floor bathroom or toilet or a stairlift.
• Insulation grant. This includes funding for cavity, internal wall, external wall and attic insulation grants.
• Heat-pump system grant. Heat-pumps convert energy from the air outside into heat. If a house is well-insulated it can provide an excellent alternative to oil, gas, solid fuel and electric heating systems.
• Heating controls grant. Improving heating controls can reduce energy use by up to 20%.
• Solar water heating grant. Solar heating systems can meet up to 50% to 60% of overall hot water requirements, saving money on annual heating bills.
• Solar electricity grant. This grant supports the installation of solar panels and battery energy storage systems which will reduce electricity bills.

Useful Links

• Housing LIN (UK) – Home Adaptions