Last week, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) published a review of Ireland’s retrofitting policies. It found that Ireland is falling behind its targets for heat pump and deep retrofits. Despite generous annual funding of more than €500 million towards the national retrofit plan, SEAI grants have not triggered the promised “renovation wave” which would bring a third of Ireland’s housing stock to a Ber of B2.

Why are more people not availing of the grants?

I can offer a perspective. I am a highly motivated environmentalist. I am currently renovating a 166-year-old townhouse, and despite my climate credentials and need to save money, I have opted not to install a heat pump. Nor have I gone for the new grants for windows or the existing insulation grant.

My highly skilled builder is not an approved SEAI contractor, which is a requirement of the grants – but most importantly, he was willing to undertake the work on a direct labour basis, instead of through one big contract. Because of that, by the end of the project, I expect to have saved money by forgoing the grants.

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The only SEAI home energy grant I availed of is the one for solar roof panels. My personal experience is that the retrofit grants are inflexible and cumbersome, and tailored towards approved suppliers and large contractors instead of small builders. There is an underlying assumption that your home is in an otherwise decent condition. Mine was derelict.

I bought a mid-terrace house that had been vacant for several........

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