Neighbours can apply for energy-saving grants

GOVERNMENT GRANTS of up to €2,000 per house for energy improvement measures are now available to householders who are prepared to co-operate with their neighbours in applying.

Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan, yesterday announced that Sustainable Energy Ireland was now inviting applications for the "cluster housing" phase of the Government's home energy saving pilot scheme.

The grants will be made available on a first-come, first-served basis to clusters of five or more houses for energy improvements such as insulation and heating controls. "The objective of the cluster element is to demonstrate the economies of scale that are achievable when a group of homeowners co-operate on the installation of common energy saving measures," said Mr Ryan.

The home energy saving scheme was announced by Mr Ryan in April and is well under way in North Tipperary, Limerick/Clare and Dundalk, with more than 1,000 homes involved.

These areas are testing the response when people participate on an individual home basis. The next phase of the pilot scheme will be to test the response of groups of homes, and it is this "cluster" phase, open to all parts of the country, for which applications are now being invited.

"One of the most sensible ways to help deal with rising energy costs is to improve the energy efficiency of our homes," said the Minister. "That is exactly what this scheme is already doing and in fact, it has been estimated that householders can save up to €500 a year by bringing their houses up to modern energy efficiency standards. It is logical that when groups of houses come together the initial outlay may be lessened while the return remains just as good."

Any group of homes can come together to form a cluster, through a residents' association or a property management company. Landlords with multiple dwellings can also apply. Third parties, such as energy agencies or building contractors, can also gather a group of participants to form a cluster.

Funding for the cluster phase is limited and intended to support 500 homes. Sustainable Energy Ireland has specified that all remedial works must be completed by the end of November this year.

Applicants must secure agreement from all participating households in each cluster to pay a reduced fee of €100 for the initial home energy assessment that will recommend what actions should be taken. Following the assessment an advisory report will be prepared for each household identifying measures for which the grant can be used.

Further information is available through the website www.sei.ie/hes or by calling 1850 927 000.