One-stop-shops have reported strong consumer demand in the first few weeks of Ireland’s new national retrofitting scheme. Under the scheme, which is administered by SEAI, applicants can claim up to 50 per cent grant aid on the cost of a deep energy upgrade if they go through an approved one-stop-shop.

“We have had over 1,000 enquiries so far since SEAI published the one-stop-shops on their website two weeks ago,” Rory Clarke, general manager of House2Home Retrofit, one of five bodies approved at the time of writing, told Passive house Plus.

“There has been massive interest in the scheme,” said Caroline Ashe Brady of Kore Retrofit, another of the one-stop-shops. “There have been a large number of leads, which we are working through.” Electric Ireland Superhomes also said they had been inundated with enquiries.

Homes upgraded under the scheme must achieve at least a B2 energy rating and a 100 kWh reduction in energy use, per square metre of floor area per year. One-stop-shops provide a start-to-finish project management service which includes surveying the home, designing the upgrade, engaging contractors, managing grants, helping with access to finance, and quality assurance.

One-stop-shops were also positive about the role played by SEAI on the scheme to date. A representative from one one-stop shop told us: “I have to say it is a totally different approach from SEAI, certainly more open to listening to commenters. The key difference is that they genuinely seem to want to make changes to the scheme where you can properly explain why a change would be better for the homeowner.”

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