Energy Action, Local Community Group Saving You Money
The New Year starts all us thinking about our expenses. It might be because we spent too much money over the holidays, it might be the consumer advice coming over the radio and TV, it might be because our contracts are up for renewal, whatever it is we start the year aiming to spend less this year. January is the coldest time of the year and we all become aware of the cost of keeping ourselves warm. Saving money on energy expenses becomes a goal for many of us.
Energy Action is a local charity that has programs to address energy efficiency and fuel poverty in Ireland and specifically in the Dublin area. They see their role as key players in raising the awareness, professional skills, piloting schemes providing ratings and measures of how to have a warm and cozy home. In their aim to tackle fuel poverty, they have been a conduit of grants and the training of skilled craft workers.
Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme
Energy Action delivers the SEAI Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme in the Dublin area. This is a free home insulation service to qualifying households.
These grants are only available to those living in and owning Non Local Authority houses constructed before 2006 and receiving the one of the following Social Welfare allowances: Winter Fuel Allowance, Job Seekers Allowance for 6 months and with a child under 7 years of age or Family Income Support/Single Parent Allowance.
Energy efficiency measures delivered under this service are:
Attic Insulation
Cavity Wall Insulation
Draught proofing
Insulation of pipe-work and water storage
Hot Water Cylinder lagging jacket
Energy Saving light-bulbs (CFLs)
Energy Advice on your home
Energy Action has been providing these services to Dublin 8 for over 20 years. Charles Roarty CEO of Energy Action showed with pride the photo of an early recipient of the service from the early 1990’s with Fountain Youth Project worker James Boylan with client and technician that is in their archives.
Warmth and Well-being Scheme
A new scheme that is being piloted in the Dublin 8 area along with Dublin 10, 12, 22 and 24 for those suffering from either COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) or Asthma and live in energy poverty. To access the scheme you must be referred by a local HSE service. Called the Warmth and Well-being Scheme it will provide for free upgrades of the following:
Standard attic insulation and appropriate ventilation
Wall insulation: cavity, dry lining or external
Boiler replacement as appropriate (oil or gas)
Draught proofing as appropriate
Those who can access the new scheme are:
Applicant must be over 55years of age
Home must be owner-occupied or rented from a local authority/approved housing association
A member of the household must be in receipt of fuel allowance
Applicant must be living with a chronic respiratory disease i.e. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or asthma and be referred to the programme by a HSE official
The Warmth and Well-being scheme was extended to Dublin 8 from the beginning of January 2017. Applications can be found on the SEAI website at: http://www.seai.ie/Grants/Warmth-and-Wellbeing/ with more information available there.
Energy Action Training
Energy Action also provides training via CE schemes for the up-skilling and retraining of those interested in becoming technicians able to provide energy efficiency services. They are actively looking for long-term unemployed interested in those skills or in the administration, finance and public relation skills they use to support their goals. Energy Action hold a Fuel Poverty Conference annually that assesses the state of technology and enables them to influence policy issues and debates. Their Fuel Poverty and Climate Action Conference will be held on the 7th March this year.
They offer training in Building Energy Rating certificate (the grading of the energy efficiency of your home known as the BER) qualifications necessary for professionals working in the field. They have training modules under the Local Training Initiative covering the Safe Pass, Manual Handling , Energy Management in Domestic Buildings, etc. .
Energy Action can be found at Unit 14, Newmarket, Dublin 8 ph: 01 454 5464, and on the web at http://energyaction.ie/wp/
The SEAI (Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland) has information on all of the schemes available at http://www.seai.ie/Home/.
You insulated my attic Feb this year. Just got a ladder fitted. There is a bag of insulation stuff still here. Can u arrange to have it collected from me