MARK LEAVY RECENTLY started his second stint at the Naas home he grew up in, now living there with his wife and two daughters.

“It was a 1970 build,” Mark said. “Windows would have gone draughty over the years; we kind of needed the extra space as well. We decided to apply for the Home Energy Upgrade because of the scale of the works.”

Mark’s family chose to avail of the One Stop Shop through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), opting for a complete retrofit that included triple-glazed windows, heat pump, solar, external wall insulation and attic insulation.”

“KORE was the company that was chosen to do the One Stop Shop. Between them, the builder and the architect, it was smooth sailing from there.”

Mark has said his heating bills are “considerably lower” since the retrofit, but that the main thing has been the improvement in comfort. “One heat, steady heat, all the time… Getting hot water all the time. Everything is good.”

A SEAI-registered One Stop Shop service provider will take care of the entire home energy upgrade process, including all of the following steps.

• Home Energy Assessment: Your One Stop Shop will assess your home and compile a report which outlines the best upgrades to bring your home up to a B BER rating or better, as well as an estimate for the cost of these retrofit works.
• Grant application: They will apply for and accept all SEAI grants for your project and deduct the grant value upfront from the cost of your works, saving you time, energy and money.
• Project management: Your One Stop Shop will manage all the works at your home and ensure quality checks are carried out.
• Contractor works: They will also assign a contractor to carry out the works on your home.
• Follow-up BER assessment: A registered BER Assessor will complete your post-works BER assessment and publish the certificate.
• Finance options: When you apply for individual energy upgrades or a complete home energy upgrade in one go, through an SEAI-registered One Stop Shop, you can also avail of the Home Energy Upgrade Loan scheme. This is a Government-backed low-cost loan, helping homeowners finance their energy upgrades.
• Grant values for homeowners: By choosing to carry out a complete home energy upgrade in one go through SEAI’s One Stop Shop scheme, you will have access to a wider range of grants to support you in reaching that minimum B BER rating.

To find out more about SEAI Home Energy Upgrade grants visit: SEAI.IE