The Athlone estate that will benefit from energy upgrade funding

Some 84 households at Battery Heights in Athlone are to benefit from warmer, more comfortable homes and improved air quality, Minister of State Peter Burke has confirmed.

It comes following a €3.3 million allocation to Westmeath County Council from the Department for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, for the retrofitting of 150 local authority-owned houses in the county.

The works, which are part of the Midlands Retrofit Programme and funded by the Carbon Tax, are due to begin in early 2021, with surveys being completed before the end of this year.

Works will typically involve insulation, upgrades of windows and doors and installation of heat pumps (renewable energy heating systems), as committed to under the Programme for Government. This will help Ireland’s efforts to combat climate change. About 40% of Ireland’s energy-related carbon emissions are from buildings.

In total almost 50 homes will benefit from the scheme including 60 at Dalton Park, in Mullingar

After the works, the Building Energy Ratings (BER) of homes will typically have gone from an E- or D- rating to a B2. They will be expected to be substantially cheaper to heat than similar homes heated by oil or gas.

Minister Burke welcomed the funding, as promised in the Programme for Government and outlined that this is just the beginning of the retrofit plans and aimed at those who are on lower incomes.

The Government has committed to carry out 500,000 retrofits nationwide by 2030.  Minister Burke stated that this is part of the Just Transition, which includes a commitment from the Government that nobody is left behind as we move to a low-carbon future.

Westmeath is one of only eight Local Authorities selected nationwide for this retrofit, due to our dependence on fossil fuels in comparison to other parts of the country.

The Midlands Retrofit Programme is part of the Government’s Just Transition for the Midlands. Under Budget 2020, €20 million was allocated from the Carbon Tax to the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government to target the retrofitting of approximately 750 homes in the Midlands. Eight counties are included in the Midlands Retrofit Programme.

Social housing tenants do not need to contact their council. Any household selected for works will be contacted. To minimise the risk of COVID-19, the local authorities have revised their standard operating procedures for carrying out maintenance and inspections of local authority homes.

The benefits to homes from these works include:

It becomes easier to heat all rooms in a house.

There is improved comfort through greater insulation

With no ash from solid fuel boilers, indoor air quality is improved. This benefits householders’ health.

Outdoor air quality is improved, benefiting the community’s health.

Efficient heating systems are more convenient to use. They end the need to remove ash from solid fuel fires. When warming a home, there is no longer the need to regularly feed a solid fuel boiler or open fireplace with fuel.

Houses with heat pumps release less carbon dioxide from heating than those heated by fossil fuels (like peat, coal or oil). This helps combat climate change. About 40% of Ireland’s energy-related carbon emissions are from buildings.