Yesterday, the Government announced the National Retrofit Plan, including the National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme. The increased funding will help homeowners with the financial burden of improving the thermal performance of their homes. However, the SCSI submission called for additional measures to tackle the shortfall in funding and address other issues arising out of the delivery of plan
Ireland’s second-hand market for housing is a resource rather than a burden. Hopefully, through this and other future schemes, we will deliver improved living standards for all that is helping to action during our climate emergency. The one-stop shop delivery is also welcome and an opportunity for your clients to access the new grants. We’ll be engaging with the SEAI to ensure Chartered members are a part of the rollout.
Additionally, we’ll be making the point to the SEAI and Government, as we have previously, that all buildings are unique and have their challenges, so a range of options must be available. For example, a deep retrofit might not work for every home, and, in some instances, a ‘shallow’ retrofit may be sufficient for a household; it depends on the condition of the building. A shallow retrofit would eliminate the need for people to move out of a property while works are underway. We were glad to see a programme of such importance to the environment and homeowners is progressing, and we’ll keep you updated as it rolls out.
TJ Cronin,
SCSI Presiden