Warmer Homes Initiative

Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme (BEWHS) Our Warmer Homes Scheme has been in operation for 14 years and has to date insulated over 4,000 houses across North and Mid Cork, South Limerick and all of Kerry. This Scheme is funded by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland and Pobal through the Community Services Programme. To qualify for this scheme, you must be in receipt of one of the following payments; Fuel Allowance, Working Family Payment, Job Seekers Allowance (For more than 6 months and have a child under 7 years of age), the One Parent Family Billy Browne, Kanturk, retired in June 2020 after 11 Payment, Domiciliary Care Allowance or Carers years with IRD Duhallows Allowance. Homes must be owner occupied and Warmer Homes Scheme. Billy started with us in 2009 constructed before 2006. IRD Duhallow is one of and has worked in a variety 12 community based organisations delivering this of roles, more recently as surveyor and quality scheme throughout the country. control. Billy has a great work ethic and had a great Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland Tender rapport with customers, fellow workers and SEAI Additional deeper retrofit works such as internal inspectors. We wish him dry-lining, external wall insulation, heating well in his retirement. upgrades, demand control ventilation and window replacement were added by SEAI to the BEWHS in 2018. IRD Duhallow partnered with Northside Community Enterprises to deliver these additional measures to our customers. SEAI then issued a tender in early 2020 for the delivery of the BEWHS for the next 4 years. These additional deeper retrofit works will be included in the tender. The deadline for submission of completed tenders was mid-June.

Energy Hub Cork Energy Hub in Farranferris Cork, set up a new funding model for Better Energy Homes Scheme (BEHS) applicants. Gurranabraher Credit Union provides loans to householders who wish to avail of energy efficiency upgrade works. IRD Richard Bruton T.D, Minister for Communications, Duhallow, as one of the Energy Climate Action and Environment pictured Hub Contractors, carries out a with Colm Crowley and Billy Browne at the IRD Duhallow Warmer Homes stand at the Energy survey on eligible properties Action Fuel Poverty Conference in 2019. and then submits a quotation for works. Energy Hub will then process the application on behalf of the householder and the credit union will pay the contractor directly once works are completed. This scheme is still in its infancy and to date there has been 5 properties surveyed for works.

Enprova & Kingspan Retrofit Home Incentive Scheme IRD Duhallow is a registered installer of attic, cavity wall and internal dry lining insulation measures under the Kingspan & Enprova Retrofit Home Incentive Scheme. This scheme is rolled out through our cavity wall certificate holder Envirobead and is available to householders whose properties were built prior to 2006. A grant of up to €850 is available per house for attic and cavity wall insulation, regardless of house size. IRD Duhallow price the job, deduct the grant amount and the householder will pay the balance. A BER (Building Energy Rating) Certificate is generated for each completed house by an independent assessor. In 2019, 44 houses received funding for insulation works through this scheme. Better Energy Communities Programme (BEC) IRD Duhallow carried out energy efficient upgrade works in two local projects in 2019, Clondrohid Community Centre and Millstreet National Boys School. Both received grant approval through Northside Community Enterprises (NCE) 2019 BEC application. Works carried out included replacement of internal lights with highperformance LED lights and cavity wall James Kelleher installing insulation in an attic that was insulation works. insulated under the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme earlier in 2020 Continuous Training & Quality Assurance Training is an essential part of our service where Warmer Homes staff are kept up to date on industry standards. These include Manual Handling, Working at Heights training, Abrasive Wheel training, Mobile Tower Scaffold training, Installer Insulation training, Project Supervisor Construction Stage (PSCS), Project Supervisor Design Process (PSDP) and Safe Pass. Our cavity wall teams have received training from Envirobead Insulation on surveying and insulation and are certified with the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) to deliver Bonded Bead Cavity Wall Insulation. KSN oversee the quality control for the BEWHS where their inspectors carry out random quality checks on houses completed by IRD Duhallow. In 2019 we had a pass rate of 100% from these inspections. We continue to carry out internal quality control checks to ensure we maintain this high pass rate. Noel Heffernan and Liam Buicke working on cavity wall insulation prior to SEAI suspending works in Employment March 2020. The Warmer Homes Scheme is staffed through the Community Services Programme (CSP) which contributes towards the employment of a coordinator and 5 full time staff. The scheme is further supported through a number of labour schemes including RSS, CE and the TUS Schemes all of which supply participants to work with teams insulating attics and cavity walls.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors IRD Duhallow received an allocation of 200 carbon monoxide detectors from Age Action. These alarms were donated by Gas Networks Ireland and complement our insulation and ventilation works through the BEWHS and our installers fit the detectors Our Board made the decision to redeploy our staff to essential services during the Covid 19 pandemic and free of charge in each home. help the meals on wheels and delivery of shopping etc. to vulnerable and cocooning people. COVID-19 Once the shutdown began all warmer homes activities had to cease completely. Our Board immediately took the decision to redeploy our staff to front line essential services such as the Laundry delivery service, friendly call service to those isolated and meals on wheels’ preparation and delivery service.