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Sligo Property – Energy Grant: How to Apply

The government announced this week a major €100million national insulation programme for economic recovery. The aims of this programme are to cut heating bills for homeowners, reduce carbon emmissions & create job opportunities for construction workers in 2009.

  • What are the grants for?

They will be provided for investing in enery efficiency improvements such as upgrading insulation, installation of more efficient boilers & carrying out Building Energy Rating assessment.

  • How much are the grants?

There are fixed amounts for each type of work carried out & these amounts range from €200 for a BER assessment to €4,000 for external wall insulation. Approval for the grant must be received before buying material or starting work & the grant will only be paid after the work is completed & the contractor is paid.

  • Who can apply?

The scheme is open to everyone. Landlords with multiple properties & people with holiday homes, along with home owners. If you own multiple properties you must apply separately for each property.

  • How to apply

You can register your interest in the scheme & be contacted when applications for the scheme are openened by emailing hes@sei.ie or phoning 1850 927000.

  • Applying for more than one grant

It is possible to apply for more than one grant. There is a minimum requirement that the grant amount in the first application must be at least €500 & the BER grant cannot form part of this €500.

  • How do I know if I can apply?

Generally speaking, if your home was built in the last five years you may not need to apply. If your home was built many years ago & you have not done much to increase its energy efficiency this scheme may be ideal for you. Apply the following questions to your home:

  1. Does the house lose heat quickly once the heating is turned off?
  2. Is the ceiling level insulation in your attic made from fibreglass, sheeps’ wool or rock wool & is this less than 300mm thick?
  3. Has the cavity wall insulation been upgraded more than 5 years ago?
  4. Is it possible to heat your domestic water without switching on radiators or an electric emmersion switch?
  5. Do you have temperature & time controls on your boiler & hot water cylinder?
  6. Was the boiler installed over 10 years ago?
  • Will the value of my home be enhanced?

The more energy efficient your home is the higher its BER rating & the more attractive it is to both buyers & tenants. Since January 1st 2009 all houses being sold or rented must have a BER rating.

  • How much should I have to spend?

To upgrade the 100mm attic insulation in a 150sqm 4 bed detached home to 300mm would typically cost €700 to €1,000. In this scenario you can get a grant for €250 & you could save €250 per year on a heating bill of €1,600.

To intall cavity wall insulation in the same house would cost in the region of €700 to €1,000. The grant would cover €400 & you would save €180 per annum on the heating bill. To install internal insulation would cost €7,000 to €10,000 & the available grant for this work is €2,500.

  • What effect would I see on energy bills?

Typically you can save €700 per annum on your heating bill. Up to 30% of the heat produced in your home can escape through an uninsulated roof, a further 20% of heat is lost through the walls.

Your energy usage can be reduced by up to 20% by replacing an old boiler with a high efficiency boiler & a further 20% reduction can be achieved by installing easy to use heating controls.

For more information on the Home Energy Saving Scheme you can visit www.sei.ie

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