Your Guide to Greener Home Improvement Grants
House
3
min read
15 Mar 2023
Did you know that 75% of people have no idea what grants are available to them when making home improvements? This was a key finding in a survey recently conducted by the Irish League of Credit Unions – read more here.
Making improvements to your home can be daunting, especially if you are looking for improvements that will make your home more energy efficient.
An energy-efficient house relies less on unnecessary energy consumption. When homeowners make the decision to adopt the use of renewable energy sources and cut down emissions, ultimately utility bills are lower resulting in long term savings.
This blog will cover the basics of government home improvement grants; what they cover, the different types you can avail of and how to apply.
What grants are available for home improvements in Ireland?
The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) offers a number of grants to homeowners who are looking to upgrade their homes and make them more energy efficient:
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Fully Funded Energy Upgrades
If you are in receipt of a social welfare payment, you live in your own, and your home was built pre- 2006, you may qualify for a fully funded energy upgrade. More details can be found on the SEAI website here.
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Home Energy Upgrade – Multiple Measures
If your home needs multiple measures and you want a complete home energy upgrade solution, grant support of up to €35,000 per home is available. This work must be carried out via an approved One Stop Shop. You can avail of a wider range of grants by using a One Stop Shop than if you were to manage the project yourself. Upgrades included within the scheme include:
To avail of this scheme, your home must achieve a Building Energy Rating of at least a 'B2' after the work is complete. In most instances, you will need to install multiple measures to meet this requirement.
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Home Energy Upgrade – Single Measures
You may choose to manage your home energy upgrades yourself, and there are specific, single measure grants for homeowners and private landlords without means testing.
Property owners can apply for these grants online, and choose their own contractors from a registered list.
Grants are available individual energy upgrades such as attic or wall insulation, heating controls, heat pumps, solar thermal, and solar PV.
More details can be found on the SEAI website here
Where can I find out more?
If you’re looking to make some upgrades to your home and you don’t know where to start, CUGreenerHomes.ie is on hand to help. CU Greener Homes, a partnership between credit unions, Energia and House2Home, is a one stop shop for home energy upgrades. It provides access to all of the information and supports needed to carry out home energy upgrades.
By using CU Greener Homes, you can get guidance on the initial home survey and assessment, explore the grants that are to you and even assist with the grant application process, the finance required, the upgrade work itself, and the project management.
Using the Home Energy Efficiency Calculator on the CU Greener Homes website, you can find out:
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The cost of various upgrades for your home
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The grant support which you may be eligible for
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The cost of credit union finance to help you fund the project
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The impact of the work on the energy efficiency of your home
Find out the costs for your home today.at www.cugreenerhomes.ie
A Green Home Improvement Loan
In order to support the green economy and encourage everyone to strive for most energy efficient enhancements, participating credit unions are offering the lowest interest rates on work which has the biggest overall impact on the home’s energy rating. Your credit union could offer you a loan with as little as 4.9% APR*
If you need any help to fund a warmer, greener home, take to your local credit union about a green home improvement loan today, or submit an online loan enquiry by clicking here.
* A €30,000 home improvement loan over 10 years at a 4.79% variable interest rate (4.9% APR) has 120 monthly repayments of €315.13.The total amount repayable is €37,815