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Housewarming: How one family waved goodbye to soaring energy costs and damp walls

An SEAI grant allowed the Delaney family in Co Meath to transform their home’s energy rating in just 10 weeks, with a one-stop shop making the whole process painless

Life was never on hold for busy professionals and parents Dave and Hazel Delaney, but their home decor certainly was.

“We didn’t do anything to the house for years,” Hazel shares. “We didn’t put down carpets; we didn’t paint. We wanted a fitted kitchen, but with the dampness in the house, we couldn’t. It would have been ruined once winter came. We got so used to managing mould and dampness, it was just part of our routine.”

Hazel’s story is a familiar one. The couple’s 1970s bungalow, located between Oldcastle and Kells in Co Meath, ticked almost every box - except for the energy rating. “The house was rated BER D2,” Hazel recalls, “and we managed it fine. But we knew if we ever had the opportunity and the money, the first thing we would do, even before we paid off our mortgage, would be a retrofit.”

In 2022, after more than 20 years in their home, the Delaneys finally got their wish. A combination of the family’s own savings and a grant from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) allowed the family to secure energy upgrade works in what Hazel describes as a game-changing few weeks.

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The Government of Ireland is investing €8 billion between now and 2030 to support 500,000 home energy upgrades to a minimum Building Energy Rating (BER) of B2 and install 400,000 heat pumps into existing homes. The SEAI wants to help every home in Ireland achieve a BER of at least B2 and have a BER improvement of 100kWh/m2 per year. The process is set to lower the country’s carbon footprint significantly while offering a vastly improved quality of life, and reduction in energy costs, for thousands of homeowners. Plus, energy upgrades will generally increase a property’s value.

The Delaneys’ home had many features and challenges typical of the 1970s.

“When we moved in, a kerosene boiler heated the house. During the summer, the house was okay as the sun filtered through most of the rooms. But in the wintertime, the two back rooms were in constant darkness, leaving them cold and damp. We became accustomed to damp and mould marks, using anti-mould paint each year and constantly having to clean and air out those spaces,” says Hazel. “You just get used to it, but it’s not easy. And like I say, we simply couldn’t invest in the house from an aesthetic point of view, which is hard. You want to make your house your own.”

Ready to say goodbye to soaring energy costs and a damp house, the couple sought expert advice from one-stop-shop Kore Retrofit. Based on their home’s energy rating, and with the help of their own investment of €45,000, the Delaneys were eligible for an SEAI grant of €25,000, which would see the home’s energy rating soar from a BER D2 to a BER B1.

“The process was really amazing,” Hazel says. “Kore looked after everything from assessing the house and advising us on what changes would be best for the home to looking after the paperwork, ordering the windows and insulation, and managing and completing the work. I remember the team told us that once the windows arrived it would be all systems go. The triple-glazed windows arrived at the end of January, and the team had completed the upgrade works by the end of March.”

The upgrades to the bungalow included a NIBE heat pump, new triple-glazed windows, 300mm top-up attic insulation, and 100mm Kore external wall insulation - in short, all of the essentials to futureproof the house with as little disruption to the Delaney’s lives as possible.

As a self-professed stickler for detail (Hazel has worked in quality management for 20 years), she expects a high standard. “My keen eye was on everything,” she laughs,” but I couldn’t fault the team. Myself, Dave, and our two daughters stayed in our home throughout the upgrades, and Kore guided us through every stage, so we knew what to expect.”

The result is a space the Delaney’s are still taking in. “It’s energy-efficient, we no longer have to buy oil, and it’s been very cost-effective,” Hazel explains. “Especially at the moment, with fluctuating energy costs, we are pinching ourselves to know we have a security for the future when it comes to our energy bills.”

As for day-to-day life, Hazel says it’s the little things that delight: “We used to have our radiators on in the morning and evening to heat the place. Now the temperature is regulated, and the house is cosy. It’s the small things. I love a really hot bath in the evenings. Before, that would use most of the hot water from the tank, and the room would be like a sauna. Now the mirror doesn’t even steam up because we have controlled ventilation in the wet rooms and can control the moisture in the air.”

To those who may be considering availing of an SEAI grant, the Delaney’s advice is simple. “We encourage everyone to do it, 100 per cent. For us, with a busy household and two teenage girls, a one-stop-shop made it easy to organise, and that’s exactly what we needed. Financially, the SEAI grant allowed us to get over the finish line. I have to say, the process was painless.”

“Today, everyone can enjoy a warmer, cosier and healthier home, by getting a home energy upgrade,” says Tom Halpin, head of communications with SEAI. “And there has never been a better time, with very generous Government grants and different grant routes to suit your own particular circumstances. The best place to start is with a Building Energy Rating to identify how your home is performing today and what options you have to improve,.”

As for what’s next on Hazel and Dave’s to-do list, there is the matter of those unpainted walls and that aforementioned fitted kitchen. “After all of these years, having our house,” Hazel smiles, “we can finally move forward. We can finally begin to make a home.”

Discover a new world of comfort and join the thousands of Irish homes enjoying a Home Energy Upgrade with government grants from SEAI. Find out more at seai.ie/home-energy/home-upgrades