Services

Our Services & List of Government Grants Available below:

Our Services include:

1. Commercial & Domestic Building Energy Rating (BER) Certificates
2. Building Regs Part L Compliance Reports
3. Display Energy Certificates – DEC
4. Energy Improvement Reports
5. Heat Loss Testing
6. Grant Applications & Thermal Insulation Advisory
7. Building Air Pressure Testing
8. Building Thermography
9. Energy Surveys
10. Heat Loss Calculations
11. U Value Calculations
12. Passive House Information & Advisory
13. Renewable Energy Technology Advisory
14. Energy Bills Analysis & Reduction
15. Energy Consultancy Services

Contact us now and Energy Rating Plus can offer a suite of services to you while also carrying public liability and professional indemnity insurances.

‘Saving Energy Makes Cents’

Building Energy Rating

We will work with you to achieve BER certification for your existing building or achieve compliance for your new build with Part L of the building regulations and Final Building Energy Rating through the following steps:

Step 1: Implementation

Energy Performance of Buildings Directive – EPBD

Step 2: Calculation

Dwelling Energy Assessment Procedure software – DEAP
We calculate the energy performance of your building through its:

• Dimensions
• Water Heating
• Space Heating
• Lighting
• Building Elements (e.g. floors, walls, roofs, windows etc.)

or for new builds as provided by construction drawings / plans and design specification:

Step 3: Assessment

Part L analysis and Building Energy Rating assessment – BER
.
Step 4: Certification

Preparation and issue of BER certificate.
A ‘Provisional BER Certificate’ must be produced by the vendor to potential buyers or tenants, when the new dwelling is offered for sale “off plans”. This certificate is based upon the pre- construction plans. When the relevant new dwelling is completed, the vendor is obligated to arrange for a new BER certificate to be supplied to the purchaser, based on the plans of the dwelling as constructed (to take account of any design changes during construction).

Step 5: Registration

Property registration on SEAI national database

Step 6: Advisory

Provision of Energy Advisory and Improvement Reports, giving you no cost and low cost options of saving energy and improving your occupancy thermal comfort and BER rating results.

Typical % Heat Loss

Building Air Tightness

Air Tightness Testing:

This measures the flow of air within your home by using blower door test equipment. The aim is to identify areas of your home that are experiencing heat loss through gaps and cracks in the fabric of the building. These areas of heat loss are increasing your energy consumption subsequently costing you a lot more money.

Building Thermography

Thermal Imaging: 
Thermal imaging is used to identify patterns of heat loss from your home that is invisible to the naked eye; it is conducted using a high tech infrared camera

Infrared cameras are a cutting edge technology for finding air leaks and gaps in a building, paving the way for better energy efficiency.

Grants

Follow below link for most up to date Grants:

https://www.seai.ie/grants/

Changes to grant levels under the Individual Energy Upgrades (Better Energy Homes) 8^Th Feb. 2022

Individual Energy Upgrades / Grants

	Previous Grants				New Grants
Measure	Detached	Semi-D/	Mid Terrace	Apartment	Detached	Semi-D/	Mid Terrace	Apartment
		End of Terrace				End of Terrace
Heat Pump Systems	€3,500				€6,500			€4,500
Heat Pumps Air-to-Air	€600				€3,500
Heating controls	€700				€700
Ceiling Insulation	€400	€400	€400	€400	€1,500	€1,300	€1,200	€800
Cavity	€400	€400	€400	€400	€1,700	€1,200	€800	€700
External	€6,000	€4,500	€2,750	€2,750	€8,000	€6,000	€3,500	€3,000
Internal	€2,400	€2,200	€1,600	€1,600	€4,500	€3,500	€2,000	€1,500
Solar Hot Water	€1,200				€1,200
BER	€50				€50
Technical Assessment	€200				€200

The new grant levels will apply to all applicants currently live on the SEAI IT system. This means that once homeowners complete works and return the required documentation including signed Declaration of Works, attachments, and the Request for Payment Form (the normal process), they will be eligible for the amounts contained in the table above entitled “New Grants”.

In addition, there has been a policy change regarding the year of construction:

	Current Rule	New Rule
Attic Insulation Cavity Wall Insulation External Wall Insulation Heating Controls	pre 2006	pre 2011
Heat Pumps/Solar Thermal	pre 2011	pre 2021

Further information on Home Energy Grants available from:

https://www.seai.ie/grants/home-energy-grants/

One Stop Grant Service

As the name suggests, the One Stop Shop Service is intended to make the entire process easier and offer a wider range of SEAI grants for homeowners. Under this programme, homeowners will be able to receive a complete home energy upgrade.

These will be managed by registered contractors who will manage the entire process for you. From the initial assessment, placing the SEAI grant application for you, conducting the work, and providing the final BER.

The table below depicts the entire range of grants at your disposal.

Complete list of SEAI Grants available to homeowners
Type of grant	Type of home	Grant value
Home Energy Assessment	All homes	Apartment €350
Air tightness	All homes	€1,500
Mechanical Ventilation	All homes	€1,500
Solar Hot Water	All homes	Apartment €1,200
Bonus for reaching B2 with a Heat Pump	All homes	€2,000
Heating Controls	All homes	€700
Heat Pump Air to Air	All homes	€3,500
External doors	All homes	€800 per door
Floor insulation	All homes	€3,500
Solar panels	All homes	Up to €2,400
Heat Pump System	Apartments All other homes	€4,500 €6,500
Central Heating System	Apartments All other homes	€1,000 €2,000
Attic insulation	Apartments Mid-Terrace Home Semi-detached or End-Terrace Detached Home	€800 €1,200 €1,300 €1,500
Rafter insulation	Apartments Mid-Terrace Home Semi-detached or End-Terrace Detached Home	€1,500 €2,000 €3,000 €3,000
Cavity wall insulation	Apartments Mid-Terrace Home Semi-detached or End-Terrace Detached Home	€700 €800 €1,200 €1,700
Internal wall insulation	Apartments Mid-Terrace Home Semi-detached or End-Terrace Detached Home	€1,500 €2,000 €3,500 €4,500
External wall insulation	Apartments Mid-Terrace Home Semi-detached or End-Terrace Detached Home	€3,000 €3,500 €6,000 €8,000
Windows upgrade	Apartments Mid-Terrace Home Semi-detached or End-Terrace Detached Home	€1,500 €1,800 €3,000 €4,000
Project management	Apartments Mid-Terrace Home Semi-detached or End-Terrace Detached Home	€800 €1,200 €1,600 €2,000

Currently, the SEAI is still in the process of verifying and registering qualified contractors for this programme. A list of registered One Stop Shop Service providers will be released in early March of 2022. You can look for a qualified contractor at the “Find a One Stop Shop” link on www.seai.ie

https://www.seai.ie/grants/home-energy-grants/one-stop-shop/

Who is eligible for the One Stop Shop Service grant?

Your home or property needs to meet all of the following criteria to qualify for the One Stop Shop Service grant:

1. The home must be your main residence and you must be the homeowner.
2. Your home must have been constructed and lived in before 2011 for insulation and heating controls grants.
3. Your home must have been constructed and lived in before 2021 for heat pumps and renewable energy systems grants.
4. Your property must have a B3 or lower energy efficiency rating and a minimum of a B2 upon completion of the upgrades.
5. Your property must not have received government grants in the past for the same home improvement.

Pros and cons of One Stop Shop Service grant

We summarise some of the pros and cons regarding the One Stop Shop Service grant.

Advantages

• No need to handle messy paperwork.
• Wider range of grants available.
• Deal with just one point person.

Disadvantages

• Relying on provider to process matters correctly.
• Cannot change if unhappy with contractor.
• Very limited list of providers to choose from.

---

Older Grant Schemes (Obselete now as of March 2022)

The Home Energy Saving scheme (HES) has relaunched as part of the Better Energy Homes scheme (May 2011)

Key highlights of the new scheme:

• Grant levels have been adjusted (except for external wall insulation)
• The Greener Homes Scheme is no longer open for applications
• Homeowners wishing to install solar panels can now avail of a fixed grant through the Better Energy Homes scheme.

The Better Energy Homes scheme opened for homeowner applications on May 16th 2011

Through SEAI, the Irish Government wishes to encourage people to improve the energy performance of their homes by incentivising the cost of installing various upgrade measures.

What are the benefits for homeowners?

–      Improved efficiency – energy use is reduced & comfort levels increased

–      Energy costs are reduced

–      Environmental savings – reduction of greenhouse gas emissions

The incentive is in the form of a Cash Grant. Cash grants are fixed, irrespective of home size, though where actual expenditure is lower than the grant value only the lower amount will be paid. Payment is by Electronic Funds Transfer to the applicant’s bank.

March 2015

Grants are available for the following works which must be completed by a registered SEAI contractor.

Energy Efficient Works		Incentive
		Increased Grant Value*
Insulation	Attic	€300
	Wall – Cavity	€300
	Wall – Internal Dry Lining
	Apartment (any) OR Mid-terrace House	€1,200
	Semi-detatched OR End of Terrace	€1,800
	Detached House	€2,400
	Wall – External
	Apartment (any) OR Mid- terrace House	€2,250
	Semi-detached or End of Terrace	€3,400
	Detached House	€4,500
Heating System	Heating Controls with Boiler (Oil or Gas) Upgrade	€700
	Heating Controls Upgrade only	€600
	Solar Heating	€1,200
Bonus	For 3rd Measure	€300
	For 4th Measure	€100
Building Energy Rating (BER)		€50**

*Cash Grants are set value unless expenditure is below the set value, in which case the actual expenditure will be reimbursed.

**A Building Energy Rating (BER) is an integral part of all grant applications under the Better Energy Homes scheme, whereby homeowners must undertake a BER on their home after grant aided works have been completed. A homeowner is entitled to BER funding of €50 once per home. This funding will be applied to your grant application automatically provided you have never applied previously for BER funding. You will be informed during the online grant application process if BER funding is available for your home or as part of your Letter of Grant Offer if you have applied through the post. It is advisable that you apply for and undertake all planned grant aided works at the same time to minimise the costs of multiple BER assessments.

*** From December 8th 2011 internal and external wall insulation grants will no longer be one single amount, but rather be based upon the house type.

Please note the minimum grant amount for the first application must be €400. A BER grant, where applicable, does not count towards the €400 minimum.

In the instance where a Contractor is completing works within his own home then only the cost of materials will be deemed qualifying expenditure.

Grants are claimed after the measures are completed and the contractor has been paid by or entered a financing agreement with the homeowner.

The scheme is open to owners of existing houses built before 2006

Please follow this link to the Better Energy Homes scheme for the current Grants Application Guide and Application Form,

Better Energy Homes (previously Home Energy Savings)

The Better Energy Homes scheme provides grants to homeowners who are interested in improving the energy efficiency of their home in order to reduce energy use and costs as well as greenhouse gas emissions. The scheme is open to all owners of existing houses built before 2006. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland administers the scheme.
Landlords and owners of multiple properties may also apply, however they must submit a separate application form for each property. If you are a landlord or a management company considering an entire building upgrade, please contact SEAI before applying online for the grant.
Assistance will be provided by way of cash grants towards the costs of implementing upgrade measures. The types of measures currently eligible under this scheme are roof insulation, wall insulation, high efficiency boilers and heating control upgrades.

 

The table below sets out:

1. The eligible measures and the set grant amounts available.

2. The typical improvement in BER rating could be expected from each individual measure done in isolation. Note that in estimating the total potential BER improvement, if the full range of measures is installed, the potential BER improvements for each measure should not be added together.

3. The typical payback period for each measure, arising from energy saved

Eligible Grants Available:

Measure	Cash Grant	Typical net BER improvement	Typical payback (years)
Roof Insulation	€200	10 – 20%	3 – 6
Cavity Wall Insulation	€250	15 – 20%	4 – 5
Internal Wall Insulation	€1,800	25 – 30%	7 – 10
External Wall Insulation	€3,600	25 – 30%	10 – 15
High efficiency boiler plus heating control upgrade	€560	25 – 30%	4 – 5
Heating control upgrade only	€400	15 – 25%	4 – 5
Building Energy Rating	€50		BER Assessment

Please contact us to avail of our Grant Applications Advisory Service or to get your Free Quotation to carry out a Building Energy Rating (BER) survey and assessment of your property.

Download our pdf Home Energy Savings

Passive House Design

What is a Passive House?
A passive house is a building in which a comfortable interior climate can be maintained without active heating and cooling systems (Dr Wolfgang Feist, Founder of Passive house Insitute). The house heats and cools itself, hence “passive”.

1. For European passive construction, prerequisite to this capability is an annual heating requirement that is less than 15 kWh/m²/yr (not to be attained at the cost of an increase in use of energy for other purposes (e.g., electricity).
2. Furthermore, the combined primary energy consumption of living area of a European passive house may not exceed 120 kWh/m²/yr for space heating, hot water and household electricity.
3. With this as a starting point, additional energy requirements may be completely covered using renewable energy sources.

This means that the combined energy consumption of a passive house is less than the average new European home requires for household electricity and hot water alone.
Building in accordance with current building regulations in Ireland would achieve an equivalent value (at best) of 100kWh/m2/yr or 6 to 7 times the passive house standard.
The combined end energy consumed by a passive house will therefore only use about 15% of the energy consumed by the average new construction that complies with applicable building regulations.

Comparison of Energy Ratings of Homes
WSchVO = German Heat Protection Regulation
SBN = Swedish Construction Standard
A passive house is cost-effective when the combined capitalized costs (construction, including design and installed equipment, plus operating costs for 30 years) do not exceed those of an average new home.
Following are the basic features that distinguish passive house construction:

Compact form and good insulation:	All components of the exterior shell of the house are insulated to achieve a U-factor that does not exceed 0.15 W/(m²K) (0.026 Btu/h/ft²/°F).
Southern orientation and shade considerations:	Passive use of solar energy is a significant factor in passive house design.
Energy-efficient window glazing and frames:	Windows (glazing and frames, combined) should have U-factors not exceeding 0.80 W/(m²K) (0.14 Btu/h/ft²/°F), with solar heat-gain coefficients around 50%.
Building envelope air-tightness:	Air leakage through unsealed joints must be less than 0.6 times the house volume per hour.
Passive preheating of fresh air:	Fresh air may be brought into the house through underground ducts that exchange heat with the soil. This preheats fresh air to a temperature above 5°C (41°F), even on cold winter days.
Highly efficient heat recovery from exhaust air using an air-to-air heat exchanger:	Most of the perceptible heat in the exhaust air is transferred to the incoming fresh air (heat recovery rate over 80%).
Hot water supply using regenerative energy sources:	Solar collectors or heat pumps provide energy for hot water.
Energy-saving household appliances:	Low energy refrigerators, stoves, freezers, lamps, washers, dryers, etc. are indispensable in a passive house.

For Passive House modelling for your new build, with the specially designed software for Passive Houses, please contact us for further information and advisory.

Energy Bills Analysis

Homeowner or Business Owner / Manager,

I would like to introduce you to a service that will save you money, save you time and cost you nothing.

Energy Rating Plus as Energy Assessors offer a cost cutting service whereby we analyse your existing utility/energy bills and revert to you, our client, with the best options and rates available in the marketplace. We are a “one stop shop” with one point of contact for all your utility needs. We do not charge a fee for this service, we are paid our fee by the service provider that you decide to choose.

How does this sound?

• We meet with you to carry out an audit of your Gas, Electricity and Telecom rates.
• All you need to do is provide a copy of your recent Gas, Electricity and Telephone Bill.
• We analyse your bill and provide detailed comparisons.
• Once you see the savings that can be made we can switch you immediately to the lower price alternative.

AND

• We provide a free annual review to ensure that you continue to receive the best rates and service available.

Our Aims

• Save you money on your energy bills.
• Save you time in dealing with telecoms and energy companies.
• Provide you with outstanding customer service and negotiate better rates.
• To build a long lasting relationship with you, our client. This can only be achieved if you are happy with our service and the savings we achieve for you.

Remember we do not charge a fee for this service or there are no hidden charges whatsoever and you pay nothing extra on the rate for us doing it, than you would if you spent the time and research yourself finding the lower costs and negotiating a better rate with the energy providers.
If you feel you should be paying less for your energy bills and would like to save money or would like to avail of some of our other energy saving services, please do not hesitate to contact our office on 051-330827 or 085-8193277 and also avail of a free energy bill analysis.

Download our brochure here