Do SEAI contractors represent good value for money?
As Ireland is engulfed in yet another energy crisis, there has never been a better time to make your home more energy efficient.
However, some are questioning whether SEAI approved contractors represent good value for money - despite generous Government grants.
On Moncrieff, Pete the Builder said he understands why people are "sceptical" about the grants but argued they are hugely beneficial to homeowners.
“The only reason is to try and motivate people to get work done - that’s what’s happened with the grants from the SEAI,” he argued.
“How they're doing that is by offering grants to get the work done.
“Some people then do go, ‘Oh yeah, but if I get someone else to do it and I don't get the grant, it works out cheaper.’
“Now, in my opinion, that is not the case; you may get your original price lower than what your price would be before you go for your grant.
“But the quality of the work and there is no follow through as well, is not there.”
A bungalow with solar panels on the roof. Picture by: Alamy.com. Reducing emissions from residential buildings is a key part of Ireland’s climate targets, which the Government is legally obliged to meet under EU law.
Increasing a home’s Building Energy Rating (BER) lowers the amount of carbon used to heat it or power the appliances within it.
“There's a huge amount of houses across the country that have got very low BER ratings,” Pete added. .
“And we've committed to getting a huge amount of those houses back up to a BER of at least B2.
“How they're doing that is by retrofit and increasing the thermal insulation of the home.”
For those considering whether to use an SEAI contractor, Pete said there would “definitely going to be a higher quality of finish” for those who do.
“In terms of attic insulation, for example, it's not just rolling out a load of insulation into your attic - it has to be fitted correctly,” he argued.
“There has to be all of the tanks in your attic get insulated as well.
“There's a huge amount more that you can be guaranteed that you're going to get done and it gets inspected.”
Main image: Rooftop solar panels. Picture by: Mauritius images GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo.
