What is SEAI and the Better Energy Home Scheme (Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland)
The Better Energy Home (BEH) scheme provides assistance to homeowners of dwellings built before 2006 who are interested in improving the energy efficiency of their home in order to reduce energy use and costs as well as greenhouse gas emissions.
Conservation can reduce polluting emissions, provide employment, and reduce Ireland’s fuel imports bill. Most of our energy currently comes from oil, coal, natural gas and peat.
These resources are not infinite, and if we continue to use them at current rates, they will run out within a few number of generations. The burning of these fuels releases pollutants into the atmosphere, contributing to smog, acid rain and climate change.
For these reasons the organization SEAI (Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland) has launched a program called Better Energy Home (BEH) scheme funded by the Irish Government under the National Development Plan 2007-2013 with programmes partly financed by the European Union.
It provides grants to homeowners who are interested in improving the energy efficiency of their home in order to reduce energy use and costs as well as greenhouse gas emissions. The scheme is open to all owners of existing houses built before 2006.
These types of measures currently eligible under this scheme are external and internal wall insulation, ceiling level roof insulation, rafter level roof insulation, high efficiency boilers and heating control upgrades.
8/06/2010 there is a need to do also a compulsory After Upgrade Works Building Energy Rating (BER) Certificate when all works are finished. For this service you can also claim €50 grant.
Grants and how much ?
Grants are fixed for each type of measured. Grant approval must be in place before any purchase of materials or commencement of measures undertaken. Grants are paid after the measures are completed and the contractor has been paid by the homeowner. In some cases where the cost of the work (vat inclusive) is less than the fixed grant amount, the actual cost will be reimbursed.
