A RULE CHANGE that would have prevented older people from getting financial support to buy a replacement for a broken oil or gas boiler has been scrapped, after fears were raised it would have left some older people “trapped” in increasingly cold homes.

It would have applied to private housing, and came about after the last government initially directed local councils to cease grants to replace broken gas and oil boilers due to new EU legislation.

However, in updated information issued on the Citizens Information website for the Housing Aid for Older People Grant, people can now avail of the financial support to buy a second-hand boiler to replace their broken one.

The change to the government-backed scheme to has been welcomed by Age Action, after it had issued a warning about the original plan.

Encouraging people away from fossil fuels

While the move was meant to encourage people away from fossil fuels for their heating – by transitioning to more sustainable air-to-water systems – Age Action had feared it was too rigid and shortsighted.

The group said this was because it didn’t factor in Ireland’s “poorly insulated” one-off housing stock that can often be more costly to keep warm.

The grant is for essential work to improve the condition of an older person’s home so they can continue to live there. It is aimed at people aged 66 and older living in poor housing conditions.

After the new rules were changed to allow the replacement of oil and gas boilers, Age Action’s senior policy specialist Nat O’Connor told The Journal that it was relieved to see the proposed system tweaked.

It looks like the government is continuing its existing policies to phase out fossil fuel boilers, but we welcome that there is some flexibility to help people buy second hand boilers or to repair or move an existing boiler

O’Connor added that it was also welcome that people can opt for electric heaters or wood pellet systems, explaining that these can be better for some people than heat pumps.

“Our main concern was that heat pumps don’t work for everyone, especially in poorly insulated homes, so it is good to see that there are some other options funded under the scheme,” O’Connor said.

The group previously said it has found that older people are concerned by climate change but that the original proposal flew in the face of calls made in recent years for a ‘just transition’.

When it initially aired concerns about the ceasing of the grant, Age Action said it would take 20-25 years to make Ireland’s housing stock sustainable.

In the meantime, the group says that allowances have to be made for older people who are at risk of being left out, either due to lack of money or because the works needed to replace their central heating may be difficult to manage if they are approaching the end of their lives.

EU direction for grants

Late last year, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage instructed the country’s local councils to cease grants for the replacement of gas and oil burners for elderly people.

It was to come into effect from the start of this year, as the result of new EU legislation included in the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the EU.

The updated advice, published in recent weeks, extends the grant for anyone buying a replacement boiler once it is done by a qualified contractor.

If your home was approved for a grant for a new fossil fuel boiler before 1 January of this year, the grant will still cover a new fossil fuel boiler.