Labour Party T.D. for Dublin North-West

Promoting the Labour Party values of Freedom, Community, Equality and Democracy

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

34,000 Dubliners benefit from warmer homes with Government’s Better Energy Schemes



I welcome fresh figures which show a total of 34,905 homes in Dublin have benefited from highly successful 'Better Energy' schemes.

The figures, which were announced by Labour Minister for Communications Energy and Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte yesterday, detail the extremely positive progress that is being made by the schemes in local communities, where low-income households are the beneficiaries.

It is hugely positive that so many Dubliners have availed of the Government’s Better Energy Schemes to date. I know in my own area of Ballymun, this included local pilot schemes in Cromlech Court, Knowth Court and in the Burren Court senior citizen’s complex last November. 

Further groups of houses have received energy upgrades in Druid and Termon Courts and this will continue in the coming months.

I welcome the approach being taken by Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and Dublin City Council in grouping together some of the older housing stock to get the best results. It is also great to see a wider buy-in from people in Dublin and around the country to these two schemes.

The popular Better Energy Home scheme involves grants for insulation and heating upgrades, while the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme relates to free home energy upgrades.
Overall, 250,000 homes throughout Ireland have benefitted from both schemes.

This has involved €600m investment in the small buildings sector and an average of 3,800 full time jobs over the last five years. It means that participating homeowners in the local area have already made significant energy savings over the past few years.

I am particularly glad these savings will continue as the Government has pledged to continue to fund these schemes into 2014.

These positive results show that the Labour Party is working hard in Government to help home-owners make real savings on their energy bills.


More information: 

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has a mission to play a leading role in the transformation of Ireland to a society based on sustainable energy structures, technologies and practices. SEAI is partly financed by Ireland’s EU Structural Funds Programme co-funded by the Irish Government and the European Union.

The Better Energy Homes scheme, operating since 2009, provides grants to homeowners towards the costs of insulation and heating system upgrades.  See www.seai.ie/betterenergyhomes

The Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme provides free home energy upgrades to eligible fuel poor households through a national network of community based organisations and private contractors.  See www.seai.ie/warmerhomes


Better Energy Warmer Homes
Better Energy Homes
County Totals for BOTH schemes
Carlow
1,094
1,520
2,614
Cavan
1,464
3,030
4,494
Clare
2,337
7,970
10,307
Cork
10,748
21,540
32,288
Donegal
3,254
4,450
7,704
Dublin
11,105
23,800
34,905
Galway
4,328
12,450
16,778
Kerry
2,974
8,090
11,064
Kildare
2,930
3,870
6,800
Kilkenny
1,180
3,310
4,490
Laois
1,196
2,210
3,406
Leitrim
1157
850
2,007
Limerick
4,497
10,750
15,247
Longford
963
1,290
2,253
Louth
3,409
3,930
7,339
Mayo
3,962
4,520
8,482
Meath
2,458
4,010
6,468
Monaghan
1,361
2,680
4,041
Offaly
1,679
1,700
3,379
Roscommon
1,954
2,410
4,364
Sligo
1,638
1,920
3,558
Tipperary
4,161
6,870
11,031
Waterford
3,399
6,000
9,399
Westmeath
1,786
2,260
4,046
Wexford
3,119
5,960
9,079
Wicklow
2,162
2,610
4,772
All Counties**
20,881
0
20,881

101,196
150,000
251,196

** County totals are not available for Better Energy Warmer Homes prior to 2009

No comments:

Post a Comment