by Alan Jacques
179 local authority owned homes will be warmer and more energy efficient this Christmas.
Thanks to a joint programme run by Limerick City and County Council and SSE Airtricity, the Energy Efficiency Upgrade programme sees that all housing stock upgraded is brought up to a Building Energy Rating (BER) of B2.
The 179 homes have been upgraded in over the past two years across all six local electoral areas, with at least 25 homes upgraded in each one.
The project involved a deep retrofit of each individual home to ensure the minimum BER standard was achieved, while it also allowed the council to carry out other non-energy related improvements at the same time, reducing the inconvenience to tenants.
“This is a very important project that the council is involved in. We must provide the highest quality standards and maintenance for our housing stock, so that our tenants can be warm and comfortable and help improve their mental and physical wellbeing,” said Mayor Daniel Butler.
“Retrofitting homes to the highest energy efficiency standards will help to make a significant contribution to a low carbon transition while also providing warmth and comfort to the people of Limerick.
“We are all aware of the challenges and dangers that Climate Change currently poses so it is imperative that we look to all possible solutions to reduce carbon emissions and improve the way we live and work. I would like to thank SSE Airtricity for working with us on this project and for their long term partnership with us.”
The outcome of this project so far is that homes are more energy efficient as heat is retained for longer periods due to the increased amounts of insulation installed. In addition, costs associated with oil and solid fuels have been eliminated, thus providing additional savings to tenants.
Head of Business Development and Major Projects with SSE Airtricity, Will O’Shaughnessy said that the upgrades will provide improved living standards for many residents throughout Limerick and provide warmth and comfort through the winter, as well as helping to improve their wellbeing.
“We continue to work with our partners here in Limerick and across Ireland providing efficient and cost-effective green energy solutions; and supporting them on the efforts that will help us achieve Ireland’s ambitious climate action targets and net zero carbon emissions,” he added.
