What Is A Retrofit and Home Energy Upgrade?
Retrofitting is the process of upgrading your home to improve its energy efficiency, comfort, and environmental impact. Unlike building a new energy-efficient home from scratch, retrofitting focuses on making changes to your existing property.
This might involve adding insulation, updating heating systems, improving ventilation, or even installing renewable energy sources like solar panels. By retrofitting, you can reduce your home’s energy consumption, lower your carbon footprint, and make your living space warmer, more comfortable and sustainable.
Benefits of Home Energy Upgrades
Retrofitting can bring a range of financial and non-financial benefits:
Non - Financial Benefits
Improved Comfort:
With better insulation, your home stays warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, enhancing comfort year-round.
Healthier Living Environment:
Improved ventilation and insulation can reduce dampness, improve indoor air quality, and reduce mould growth, making you and your home healthier.
Easier To Maintain:
A retrofitted home is much easier to maintain in the long run, which can help improve quality of life.
Environmental Impact:
Retrofitting reduces your carbon emissions, helping to combat climate change and contribute to a greener future in line with NetZeroCities' goals.
Determine Your Eligibility
Most grant schemes have specific eligibility criteria, such as property type, income level, and Building Energy Rating (BER).
Manage Your Grant Funds Effectively
Ensure you understand the grant agreement's terms and conditions meticulously. Maintain accurate and transparent financial records of all grant expenditures. Regularly report on the progress of your project and the utilization of funds as per the grant requirements.
Apply for the Grant
Once you know which grants or incentives you qualify for, you’ll need to complete the necessary applications, providing details about your property and proposed upgrades. We can help assess your eligibility for available grants and support you through the application process.
Receive Financial Support
After approval, depending on the grant route, the funding can either be applied directly to the cost of the retrofitting work or reimbursed after completion. Need help navigating the options? Warm Home Hub is here to guide you through the funding and grant application process, ensuring you access the best available support for your retrofit.
Types of Home Energy Upgrades
Retrofitting can include various types of energy upgrades, tailored to meet the needs of your home:
Insulation:
Adding or improving insulation in your walls, loft, floors, and roof helps retain heat, lowering energy usage.
Heating Controls Upgrade:
Improving your heating controls can help reduce your bills by saving up to 20% of your home energy usage.
Window and Door Upgrades:
Replacing old windows and doors with double or triple glazing improves insulation and significantly reduces heat loss.
Window and Door Upgrades:
Replacing old windows and doors with double or triple glazing improves insulation and significantly reduces heat loss.
Window and Door Upgrades:
Replacing old windows and doors with double or triple glazing improves insulation and significantly reduces heat loss.
Individual Energy Upgrade Grants
One of the main benefits of Individual Energy Upgrade Grants is that they offer the homeowner flexibility and provide the ability to approach home upgrades with a step-by-step approach. Unfortunately, windows, doors, ventilation, and floor insulation are not currently included in individual grants.
However, there are individual grant options for PV solar panels, solar water heating, heat pumps, attic and wall insulation, and heating control upgrades.
With an individual energy grant the homeowner:
- Manages the contractors.
- Applies for the grants.
- Pays for the work and receive grants for each measure taken.
To learn more about Individual Grants, including eligibility criteria, you can check out the SEAI website here.
One Stop Shop Grants
One-stop shop grants are available for deep retrofits and offer the benefit of a fully managed solution for home energy upgrades. With a One Stop Shop Grant the homeowner assigns a main contractor. This contractor looks after the retrofit project including sourcing sub-contractors and dealing with grants.
The advantage is that:
- All measures are covered
- You only pay the net cost (the One Stop Shop takes the risk on the remainder)
- You get a grant to recoup some of the project management cost
- Suitable for deep retrofit aiming at a B2 energy rating or higher
However the disadvantage is that it can be more expensive overall as it tends to be a deep retrofit. To learn more about One Stop Shop Grants, including eligibility criteria, you can check out the SEAI website here.
Free Energy Upgrades Through SEAI (Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland)
A variety of individuals are eligible for fully-funded (free) home energy upgrade options through the Warmer Homes Scheme with SEAI.
There can often be long waiting times for fully funded home energy upgrade schemes, but they are definitely worth it.
If your home’s BER Rating is C or lower, you will qualify if you meet one of the following categories:
- Fuel Allowance as part of the National Fuel Scheme
- Job Seekers Allowance for over six months and have a child under seven years of age
- Working Family Payment
- One-Parent Family Payment
- Domiciliary Care Allowance
- Careers Allowance and live with the person you are caring for
- Disability Allowance for over six months and have a child under seven years of age
Solar thermal and PV (photovoltaic) panels are excluded from the fully funded scheme, but there are a wide variety of other home energy upgrade options included.
You can find more information about the Warmer Homes Scheme, eligibility criteria, and the home energy upgrade options available on the scheme on the SEIA website here.
You can find additional information and eligibility criteria for free home energy upgrades from Citizen’s Information here.
The Next Steps to Take if You're Interested in Retrofitting Your Home
Start by assessing your current energy consumption and identifying areas for improvement. This may involve an energy audit or a simple review of your energy bills. Then, research available retrofitting options, such as insulation, window upgrades and high-efficiency appliances, and explore the financial incentives.
Step 1: Get a Building Energy Rating (BER) and Home Energy Assessment (HEA)
Get a Building Energy Rating (BER) and Home Energy Assessment (HEA)
Start with a home energy assessment to determine where your home is losing energy and which improvements will have the most impact.
A Home Energy Assessment (HEA) is a more comprehensive evaluation of a home's energy efficiency and a survey of the property than a Building Energy Rating (BER).
HEAs are arranged by One-Stop Shops and carried out by technical assessors and they often include:
- An analysis of the home's insulation, heating system, ventilation, and energy usage
- A Building Energy Rating (BER) assessment
- A technical report on the home's energy efficiency
- A heat pump technical assessment
- An estimate of the costs of recommended energy upgrades
- Information about possible available grants and funding support
Warm Home Hub is able to offer free desk-based HEAs for homes within our catchment area in Westside, Galway which help you to understand costs and payback.
Step 2: Explore Your Retrofit Goals
Explore Your Retrofit Goals
Identify your priorities—whether it’s cutting energy bills, reducing environmental impact, or increasing comfort levels.
Consider whether you will opt for a shallow, medium or deep retrofit. A deep retrofit aims to achieve the best possible performance targets. In comparison, a shallow retrofit targets a few specific measures.
Shallow Retrofit Options
Shallow retrofit fit designs often include the foundations of home energy upgrading including insulation and improved heating controls.
Medium Retrofit Options
Medium retrofit designs often include work on windows, doors, and ventilation systems to help improve home comfort and sustainability.
Deep Retrofit Options
Deep retrofit designs involve more comprehensive upgrades, leading to a minimum B2 BER rating. Deep retrofits commonly include the implementation of renewable energy sources such as PV Solar panels.
Step 3: Explore Funding Options
Explore Funding Options
Investigate which grants, subsidies, or incentives are available to support your retrofit.
Where eligible, Warm Home Hub is able to assist you through the process of applying for grants and funding for your home energy upgrades.
Step 4: Develop a Custom Retrofitting Plan
Develop a Custom Retrofitting Plan
Contact Warm Home Hub for a consultation. Based on your goals and budget, we’ll help you outline a step-by-step plan with tailored solutions.
Warm Home Hub can provide advice on contractors, accurate pricing estimates, and payback periods.
Step 5: Hire Qualified Professionals
Hire Qualified Professionals
Ensuring a quality retrofit requires trained, certified professionals. We can help connect you with trusted SEAI-certified professionals and installers who specialise in sustainable retrofitting.
Step 6: Begin Your Retrofit
Begin Your Retrofit
Once you’re ready, Warm Home Hub will continue to assist your retrofit journey, and your contractors will support you through your retrofit journey, providing advice, coordinating work, and ensuring each step is efficient and high-quality.
If you’re undertaking a shallow retrofit fit we will help guide you through the process, and if you go through the One-Stop Shop route, they will be fully managing your retrofit process
Step 7: Enjoy Your Retrofit
Enjoy Your Retrofit
Once work has been completed you get to enjoy your new home. During this period you’ll learn to integrate your upgrades into daily life, learning how best to use them and make the most of them.
As time goes on you can review the opportunities for further home energy upgrades in your home and begin the process again!
