A Sinn Fein deputy has welcomed the uptick in home energy upgrades but says it “doesn’t hide the deep inequity of the Government’s National Retrofit Plan."
The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland says it has supported 9,946 retrofits in the first quarter of this year - a 172% jump from last year.
But Meath TD Darren O’Rourke says: “Far too many people are excluded from these schemes, ineligible for the free scheme and unable to afford works.
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“Many of these households are burning solid fuels and are even more exposed. Renters fare even worse.
“In addition, figures released to me in Parliamentary Replies confirm that the waiting list for the free, Warmer Homes, scheme remains stubbornly long, standing at an average of 19 months.
“More concerning, however, and again released to me in Parliamentary Replies, is the incredibly low number of homes being retrofitted to the B2 standard.
“The Government target is to bring 500,000 homes to B2 or higher BER rating by 2030, but to date, just a quarter of retrofits are to a standard of B2 or higher.
“Three years into a 10 year programme and just 3.2% of the 2030 objective of 500,000 has been delivered.”
Mr Burke says it “is not good enough”.
“We are in a climate crisis and the numbers of those living in energy poverty doubled last year. The government has proven yet again just how inadequate their plans are.”
SEAI said applications across all schemes are up 76% from the same period last year.
And that 946 fully funded upgrades have been carried out for low-income households were completed (up 27% on 2021).
The overall retrofitting target for 2023 is 37,000 home energy upgrades. Based on first quarter performance and the robust pipeline of work in the system, SEAI say they expect to reach this target.
Mr Burke also raised concerns about the Government’s approach to retrofitting saying those with the most means “remain their top priority while those with the least will continue to be left out in the cold”.
He described the approach as “socially regressive, deeply inequitable and inadequately targeted and regulated”.
“It’s not just Sinn Féin making this point,” he added.
“Others, advocacy groups including SVP, Social Justice Ireland and Friends of the Earth have come to the same conclusion. Furthermore, when retrofits for the poorest coldest homes are examined, the results are bleak.
“For example, in Q1 2023, 1 in 3 retrofits completed under the Warmer Homes Scheme were to D1 standard or worse.
“Sinn Féin’s ‘A Fairer Retrofit Plan’ will significantly increase the retrofitting budget and targeting the funding at the poorest, coldest and most carbon intensive homes. Directing scarce labour resources to the coldest homes is the best use of public money, is socially equitable and will show the best return on public investment in achieving climate targets.”
Dr Ciaran Byrne, Director of National Retrofit at SEAI said: “Since the launch of the One Stop Shop scheme last year, there have been over 2,200 Home Energy Assessment (HEA) applications which suggests that a healthy pipeline of homeowners is completing the initial energy survey to determine what energy upgrade works they wish to complete.
“SEAI recently published the interim energy balance for 2022 which noted a reduction in heat demand in our homes and businesses that was greater than what can be accounted for by temperature effects, efficiency improvements, or fuel-switching.”
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