Elderly people living in large homes could be incentivised to move to smaller ones through a mix of tax incentives and grants, reports the Irish Independent. Taoiseach Micheál Martin told the paper that measures being examined by the ROI government include incentives for “right-sizing”. It is among a number of measures being considered under plans […] More
The Affordable Warmth grant, which funds energy upgrades in the homes of low income earners, has widened its eligibility criteria. In this article we cover: The income threshold for the Affordable Warmth grants has been increased from £20k to £23k. Some benefits will no longer be included in the calculation of income, including disability living […] More
If you are self-building in a remote location, and own a large site, a well-managed woodland could be a sustainable solution to all of your fuel needs. Good news comes in the form of the NI Woodland Grant Schemes, which opened in June. To qualify you will need to plant 0.2 hectare (about half an […] More
The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has removed the requirement for a house to be built before 2006 to qualify for a Deep Retrofit grant. Grant amounts have also been increased to help with consultancy fees, meaning homeowners now only have to pay roughly 40 per cent of the total cost. The grant is […] More
As the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) rolls out the Better Energy Homes heat pump grant scheme today (16th April 2016), Selfbuild can reveal that half of the grant-aided contractors on the Better Energy Homes scheme are deemed “high risk” by the energy authority. In 2017 the SEAI introduced a colour scale to rate the […] More
The pilot grant scheme to encourage people to move to a rural town will be launched this year, the Department of Rural Affairs told Selfbuild. The Town and Village Renewal Scheme scheme was granted €15 million under Budget 2018 and it is expected to be launched “in the first half of the year”. The scheme […] More
The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland has renewed calls for homes built before 2006 to get an energy upgrade, claiming savings of up to €600 a year on an average heating bill of €1,850. External wall insulation grants were increased earlier this year and the roll out of heat pump grants is slated for April. […] More
ROI Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy announced today (15th December 2017) he would increase the level of grant support for users of private wells, with details to be published in the coming weeks. The announcement came as he presented the details of new subsidies for Group Water Schemes, increasing the maximum support per household from […] More
Homeowners in ROI will, as of April 2018, qualify for a €3,500 grant to install a heat pump but will no longer be eligible for a grant to replace their fossil fuel boiler. Grants for heating control upgrades and external wall insulation are also being increased, available from January 15th 2018. These measures introduced by […] More
I already have a septic tank, should I be worried that it’s not performing? People often forget all about their septic tanks once they’ve moved in but they do need to be desludged, generally once every year or every two years, depending on the size and use of the system (see last question). Other routine […] More
About one million customers will be refunded their Irish Water charges this autumn, the Department of Housing announced today (6th September 2017). Domestic water services account holders with Irish Water will be automatically refunded by the utility, by way of a cheque. There is no application process involved. Customers only need to contact Irish Water […] More
Locals-only rules from the 2005 Rural Housing Guidelines remain in place until further notice, the Department of Housing told Selfbuild. Locals-only rules prevent people without proven ties to the community to get planning permission on some greenfield sites, a policy that has led the EU to take legal proceedings against Ireland ten years ago. “The […] More