Greener You June 2019

Your TRAVEL

• There are fewer than 8,000 electric cars on the road from a total fleet of 2.3 million vehicles. To support buying an electric vehicle, there are additional supports and grants and cheaper motor tax and tolls.

Car Type

CO2 (tonnes)

Energy Cost

Diesel

1.74

€847

Petrol

1.74

€1051

Plug-in Hybrid*

1.57**

€567

Battery Electric

0.98**

€183

• Electric Vehicles: There are currently almost 1,100 public charge points available across the island of Ireland – check out the map at https://www.esb.ie/ our-businesses/ecars/charge-point-map or download the “ecar connect” app to find your nearest charge point.

• A maximum grant of €3,800 is available for purchase of qualifying EVs by a commercial entity.

• Key Climate Change elements of Budget 2019

A GREENER Reduce Yo u the impact

✔ €112 million is being provided for energy efficiency improvements in the residential, commercial and public sectors. ✔ €6 million has been allocated for the support scheme for renewable heat. ✔ €10 million is being provided for investment in applied energy research to diversify away from fossil fuels to green energy.

*assuming 40% driving electric only ** Electricity is now 30% renewable, so the CO2 of EV will fall further when we double this over the next decade.

• There is currently an Electric Vehicle Grant available of up to €5,000 towards the cost of buying an electric car Vehicles priced lower than €14,000 do not qualify for a grant.

Only new vehicles bought from an approved dealer can qualify for the grant. For more information contact evgrantscheme@seai.ie

Your GOVERNMENT

List Price of Approved EV Grant

✔ €70 million has been allocated for investment in Environmental and Waste management to support the EPA and the continued promotion of the environmental protection, waste prevention and climate change initiatives, along with the remediation of environmentally-degraded landfill sites. ✔ A new €500 million Climate Action Fund is being established to encourage commercial investment in innovative climate change projects. ✔ €13 million is being made available for Electric Vehicle Supports.

• Under Project Ireland 2040, €21.8 billion is committed to the objective of transitioning to a low-carbon and climate-resilient society.

€14,000 to €15,000

€2,000

€15,000 to €16,000

€2,500

€16,000 to €17,000

€3,000

€17,000 to €18,000

€3,500

€18,000 to €19,000

€4,000

• All new cars, from 2030 onwards, will be zero emissions capable.

€19,000 to €20,000

€4,500

Greater than €20,000

€5,000

• No more coal will be burnt at Moneypoint by 2025, and peat will be off the

• The Electric Vehicle Home Charger Grant enables you to claim up to €600 towards the purchase and installation of an electric vehicle home charger unit.

• €9 million is being provided to upgrade the public lighting network, which will cut annual lighting costs for local authorities by 50%.

• All new urban buses purchased for Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus will be lowemission vehicles from July 2019.

grid by 2030.

Your local Fine Gael team Colm Brophy TD working with TALLAGHT SOUTH -

FIRHOUSE - BOHERNABREENA

Cllr. Baby Pereppadan - 087-230719

Cllr. Brian Lawlor- 087-6445472

• Motor Tax on electric cars is the lowest rate possible which is €120 a year.

RATHFARNHAM - TEMPLEOGUE

DUBLIN SOUTH WEST -

Cllr. David McManus - 085-1045044 Cllr. Mary Seery Kearney - 083-4050415

Ellen O'Malley Dunlop - 086-8099618

• End-of-Life Vehicle: Owners of intact end-of-life cars and vans can deposit them free of charge at Authorised Treatment Facilities (ATF’s). Find out where you can deposit your vehicle at www.elves.ie.

• The Cycle to Work Scheme is a government tax incentive scheme which aims to encourage employees to cycle to and from work. Under the scheme employers can pay for bicycles and bicycle equipment for their employees up the value of €1,000. The Employee then pays back through a salary sacrifice arrangement of up to 12 months and the repayment is deducted from your gross salary. You can only avail of the scheme once in a five-year period and the bicycle must be used mainly for qualifying journey to and from work. Contact your employer to ask about the scheme.

0612

• VRT is paid whenever a car is registered for the first time in Ireland. Electric Vehicles receive VRT relief up to €5,000 and with the 14% rate of VRT applied to electric vehicles this can reduce the VRT to €0. VRT relief for EVs is in place until the end of 2021.

• Toll Charges - since July 2018 there is now a discount scheme for electric vehicles with as much as 75% off toll tag charges.

As individuals we each have a responsibility to look after the planet. By making small changes to our lifestyles we can help tackle climate change and reduce the impact our actions have on our world. This leaflet sets out some suggestions which can help to bring about positive changes and work towards a healthier environment.

COLM

BROPHY TD Dáil Éireann, Leinster House, Kildare St, Dublin 2. Tel: 01-6183196 Email: colm.brophy@oireachtas.ie @brophytalks ColmBrophyFineGael

COLM

BROPHY TD Dáil Éireann, Leinster House, Kildare St, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01-6183196 Email: colm.brophy@oireachtas.ie @brophytalks ColmBrophyFineGael

Disclaimer: Every reasonable effort has been made to ensure that the content of this information guide is accurate at time of going to print. No liability is accepted for any errors or omissions or outdated information.

CBrophy_GreenerYou_Jun19.indd 1

13/06/2019 10:28

Your COMMUNITY

• The Tidy Towns competition is a yearly contest in which participating areas are rated on all aspects of their local environment.

• There are also special awards for different categories such as sustainable development and community climate action. Read more on tidytowns.ie to find out how you can get involved.

• National Spring Clean Month in April is Ireland’s biggest anti-litter campaign.

People are encouraged to organise a local clean up and to participate in improving their local environment.

• South Dublin County Council in conjunction with the other local authorities in Dublin are working towards a Climate Change Action Plan 2019-2024. This will include a number of key targets.

• 33% improvements in Councils’ energy efficiency by 2020 • Make Dublin a climateresilient region by reducing the impacts of future climate change related events • 40% reduction in the Councils’ greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 • Actively engage and inform our citizens on Climate Change

Your WASTE

A typical household generates 1 tonne of waste per year, which is huge by European standards. One area where we stand out badly is that we use 80% more plastic packaging. Our recycling rates are better across most categories.

REDUCE - Avoid Disposable items; - Choose less packaging or leave in shop; - Use the Bring Banks for clothes, old electrics, tyres, batteries (or www.Freetradeireland.ie) - Avoid wasting food (and use your freezer to help) The average family wastes €50 per month in food; - Use green cleaning (Baking soda, washing soda, vinegar, lemon juice, salt).

• South Dublin County Council (01-4192222) will provide bags & gloves to Resident Associations for clean up in their locality in respect of open areas and green spaces.

Your HOME •

•

•

Building Energy Rating (BER) certificate indicates your building’s energy performance on a scale of A-G. When you get an assessment you also receive an Advisory Report recommending the best energy saving improvements for your building.

Assessments are carried out by registered BER Assessors.

- A €50 grant is available for anyone who has had SEAI grant related works done to their home.

- Find your local assessors on https://ndber.seai.ie/PASS/Assessors/Search.aspx or email info@ber.seai.ie The Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme provides free energy upgrades in homes built before 2006 to make them more comfortable, healthier and cheaper to run.

The upgrades are free to eligible homeowners in receipt of certain benefits including:

Upgrades available under the Scheme include:

• 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 • Carers Allowance and live with the person you are caring for

• • • • •

Attic insulation; Cavity wall insulation; External wall insulation; Internal wall insulation; Other secondary measures such as lagging jackets, draught proofing & energy efficient lighting; and • In some cases, heating upgrades and/ or window replacements may also be recommended.

For more information on the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme phone 1800 250 204 or email warmerhomes@seai.ie.

•

Lead Pipe Replacement Grant: A grant will be available from the Council for replacing lead water pipes for costs of up to €5,000, with an 80% grant for household income under €50,000, and 50% for household income between €50,000 and €75,000.

CBrophy_GreenerYou_Jun19.indd 2

JUST THESE IN YOUR RECYCLING BIN

BROWN GREEN - Ireland has a single national set of items which can be recycled.

Rigid Plastics

Tins & Cans

Paper & Cardboard

Drink Bottles Cleaning bottles Shampoo bottles Butter/Yogurt tubs Fruit & Veg trays Milk cartons

Soup Pet food Drink Food Biscuit

Paper Cardboard Egg boxes Toilet rolls Newspaper Cartons

Better Energy Home Scheme gives fixed cash grants for insulation and heating system upgrades, helping to make your home more comfortable and cheaper to run. It is available to all owners or homes built before 2006.

- Grant approval must be in place before any works commence. For a speedy application and immediate approval, apply online at https://www.seai.ie/ or contact info@betterenergyhomes.ie or Tel: 1850 927 00

ENERGY UPGRADES Insulation Internal Insulation (Dry Lining) External Wall Insulation (‘The Wrap’) Heating System

•

Grant Value Attic insulation

€400

Cavity Wall

€400

Apartment (any) OR Mid-terrace House

€1,600

Semi-detached OR End of Terrace

€2,200

Detached House

€2,400

Apartment (any) OR Mid-terrace House

€2,750

Semi-detached OR End of Terrace

€4,500

Detached House

€6,000

Heating Controls Upgrade

€700

Installing a Heat Pump System into your home is an alternative to traditional fossil fuel heating systems and offers lower costs and reduced carbon emissions.

Significant grants are available for all homeowners, including landlords, whose homes were built and occupied before 2011.

Heat Pump Systems

Grant Value

Air to Water

€3,500

Ground Source to Water

€3,500

Exhaust Air to Water

€3,500

Water to Water

€3,500

Air to Air

€600

To apply for a heat pump system grant you must have a SEAI Registered Technical Advisor carry out a technical assessment of your home to ensure it is suitable. There is also a €200 grant available towards this assessment of your home.

More tips on waste can be found at www.mywaste.ie

“If it once grew it can go in the brown bin”

Bread & cereals Egg & Dairy Meat & Poultry Fish & Shells/bones Food Scraps

Coffee Grounds & Teabags Wet Paper & Cardboard Paper Towels Fruit & Veg

You can of course compost at home.

www.mywaste.ie

•

A Solar Water Heating Grant of €1200 is available to install a solar thermal system which will meet 50-60% of your overall hot water requirement over a year. This system will make your home more energy efficient, comfortable and reduce your heating bills.

This grant can be accessed by all homeowners, including landlords, whose homes were built and occupied before 2011.

• A Solar Electricity Grant is available to install Solar Photovoltaic (PV) panels to generate electricity for your home. This will result in cheaper electricity bills, improve your BER and reduce your emissions. The grant value is €700 for each kW of solar PV installed up to 2kW or up to 4kW if you choose to install the Battery Storage System. A grant of €1000 is available to install a Battery Storage System for any excess electricity produced.

• Do More Receive More: If you complete three upgrades your grant value will be increased by €300. If you complete four upgrades your grant value will be increased by an additional €100. A total of €400.

• If you are doing a major renovation of your home and want to significantly improve the energy rating, you may be interested in the Deep Retrofit Grant.

SEAI offers up to 50% grant for a Deep Retrofit (multiple energy upgrades all at once, including renewable energy solutions) to achieve an A rating. SEAI also offers a Deep Retrofit grant of up to €200,000 for Communities to come together to deliver energy savings across a range of buildings and showcase what can be achieved.

Homeowners apply for this grant via a Service Provider. For more information email info@seai.ie Energy Saving Investments: SEAI Grants will typically cover 20-30% of the full cost.

Energy savings of up to 50% can be achieved.

For a poorly insulated semi-detached

Investment payback time

CO2 tonnes saved per year

Heating Controls

2yrs

1.8

Cavity Wall Insulation

2yrs

2

External Wall Insulation

15yrs

2.9

Solar Thermal

15yrs

0.6

13/06/2019 10:28