Retrofitting scheme will be a ‘step change’ in tackling climate crisis

Government says some 500,000 homes will be upgraded

The cabinet has signed off on an increase in the value of retrofitting grants, pushing them up from a maximum of around €30-35,000 to as much as €50,000. Picture: Getty

The government is promising that its new retrofitting scheme will be a “step change” in the upgrading of homes.

It has set out a target in the climate action plan of halving carbon emissions from Irish houses by the end of the decade. It wants to achieve this by improving 500,000 homes to a B2 energy standard by 2030. But with just 15,000 retrofits last year, the pace has been too slow.

The cabinet has ...