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20 Jun 2018

Better Energy Community Grant Scheme

A 35% Grant from SEAI through the Better Energy Communities has been awarded to 5 homes within this scheme for 2019. Homeowners need to demonstrate the amount of Kwh/yr (energy) savings after their upgrade works have been carried out. Each house must reach a B2 on the BER certificate after works area complete.

Grant measures that obtain a 35% Grant include:

  •  Attic Insulation at ceiling level only
  • Cavity Wall Insulation
  • External Wall Insulation
  • Heating Controls upgrade
  • Stove (room heater only)

Grant measures that obtain a 40% Grant include – maximum €6,500

Availing of the Grant Scheme

Under this scheme grant aid for Better Energy Communities upgrades are available for houses that were built pre-2006.

Building Energy Rating Assessment (BER)

A BER assessment is required on your home before and after works have been complete, this will be organised for you by the scheme. A BER Assessor from ECTC BER Assessor Panel will be used.  These assessors have been trained and educated on the Better Energy Communities scheme. The BER is an indication of the energy performance of a building. The overall cost under this scheme for the BER assessment is €332, each homeowner is obliged to pay €200 towards the two BER assessments (to be paid along with upgrade works cost to ECTC), the remaining fee will be subsidised by ECTC, only homeowners who have carried out work under the Better Energy Communities can avail of the BER assessment.

Technical Assessment

A technical assessment is only required if you wish to install a heat pump. It cost €425 for this assessment and must be paid directly to Energy Communities Tipperary Co-operative before the assessment takes place. See Heat Pump below.

Stoves

Stoves must be wood-burning only at 70% efficient ECO-Design, room heaters only with no back boilers.

Application Process for the Scheme

  1. The homeowner must return a signed Application Form to the Project Coordinator.
  2. 100% of the total quoted price must be paid to ECTC before any works commence on site by the Contractor. This money will be held by ECTC and will only be released to the Contractor once all works have been signed off, and the after BER has been carried out.
  3. Payment should be made out to Energy Communities Tipperary Co-operative; or a bank lodgement with proof of payment – a receipt will be given from the Project Co-ordinator for this payment on request. €200 for BER assessment must also be included.
  4. Works may commence on site once payment to ECTC is received.
  5. SEAI will inspect at least 20% of upgraded houses**.
  6. All invoices and receipts from the Contractor will be dealt with by ECTC, and will be the basis of the drawing down of the Grant money from SEAI.

**The Project Co-ordinator and SEAI reserve the right to inspect any works carried out under the Better Energy Communities Residential Grant Scheme.  All completed works may be subject to inspection.  Properties may be the subject of a sampling process and homeowners will be notified prior to inspection.  Inspections will be carried out at a time agreed by the homeowner and the agency.

Timings

All works must be completed by October 11th 2019 so that Grant Aid can be drawn down from SEAI. If there is a possibility of delays in any household, the works must not commence as grant funding will not be made available to unfinished work.

Heat Pumps

For a limited period in 2019 Heat pumps will be allocated 40% Grant funding. A technical assessment must be carried out on your home to check that your home is heat pump ready. If you house is not insulated with leaky windows a heat pump is not the heating solution for your home. A heat pump runs at a lower temperature than a normal condensing oil or gas boiler, therefore the house must be well insulated with good air-tightness to get the best results from a heat pump. You must achieve at least 2 W/km2 on the fabric heat loss indicator in the technical assessment, if you do not achieve this, our technical advisory will outline the measure you need to take to achieve this. Example – to pump your cavity walls with insulation, you can avail of the 35% grant to carry out any of these upgrade measure before installing the heat pump.

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