5,884 properties in Wicklow have gained from retrofits since 2019
There has been a 13pc increase in the number of home energy upgrades in 2024, compared with 2023, showing continued momentum in home retrofitting and the uptake in Wicklow has been remarkable, going from 579 properties in 2019, to 1,889 in 2024.
The SEAI offers a range of government-funded financial supports, suiting a variety of circumstances, to help property owners achieve their home energy upgrade ambitions.
These include:
'Better Energy Homes and Solar PV' grants for individual energy upgrades aimed at homeowners.
The 'National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme', a fully project-managed service that provides grant support to private homeowners, private landlords and Approved Housing Bodies that want to upgrade their homes to a BER B2 or better' .
'Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme', which provides a fully funded and fully managed solution for qualifying homeowners in receipt of certain Department of Social Protection payments to upgrade their home.
'Community Energy Grants', which support the upgrading of a wide variety of building stock and facilities to exacting standards of energy efficiency and renewable energy usage, thereby reducing fossil fuel usage, energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
In County Wicklow, some 1,494 properties benefitted under the 'Better Energy Homes and Solar PV' grants scheme; 40 under the 'National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme'; 354 under the 'Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme'; and just one under the 'Community Energy Grants' scheme.
Remarking broadly on the progress, Environment Minister Darragh O'Brien, said: 'This report shows continued steady progress and delivery across SEAI home energy upgrade schemes. It's particularly positive to see that there was a 31pc increase in the delivery of upgrades for energy poverty households, with over 7,700 completed in 2024 – this works out at an average of 150 upgrades every week last year.
"Home energy upgrades have the ability to transform people's lives through living in warmer, healthier homes, as well as the added benefit of living in a home that has a lower carbon footprint and lower running costs.'
He added: While a lot of progress has been made in the area of retrofits, we know we have to continue to build on and accelerate the level of upgrades taking place.'
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