The value of retrofitting goes well beyond the numbers
William Walsh, CEO of SEAI, highlights the real and measurable impact retrofitting is having on Ireland’s carbon emissions.
We’ve seen in recent weeks how exposed Irish homeowners and businesses are to energy price shocks they can do nothing about. So long as we continue to rely on imported fossil fuels, turmoil abroad can quickly feed through to the cost of heating our homes and running our economy. The latest conflict in the Middle East has again underlined just how fragile that system is. We cannot control global events, but we can reduce our vulnerability to them.
Retrofitting: immediate comfort, long‑term stability
That is where retrofitting comes in. Quite apart from any energy crisis, a better-insulated, more efficient home is warmer and healthier to live in, and cheaper to run. These results are immediate – there is no payback on the instant improvement to the comfort of your home.
When people speak about payback periods, they are taking an extremely narrow view, which misrepresents something that delivers far wider benefits. With the cost of oil and gas on such an uncertain trajectory, even when taking such a limited view, the strictly economic payback periods suggested are likely to significantly decrease.
In 2016, we conducted a pilot looking at the health of people living in retrofitted homes. The results were extraordinary – those living in higher rated homes, saw improvements to their physical and mental health. They also reported greater satisfaction in their ability to control their energy use – a crucial requirement in today’s international climate.
Speaking of climate, retrofitting is having a measurable impact on Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions. The EPA’s provisional 2024 data shows that residential sector emissions are down 1.4 megatonnes CO2 since 2018, putting us halfway to the sector’s 2030 target. This progress can sometimes be missed when focusing solely on individual upgrade metrics rather than the wider system impact.
Comfort taking isn’t a problem – it’s a positive outcome
It’s true that some households may choose to increase indoor temperatures and improve comfort rather than fully reduce energy bills, a phenomenon known as “comfort taking”. This is a good thing. We see it especially for those on lower incomes, who may have only been heating one room for example, and now are able to enjoy a warmer, more comfortable, and indeed healthier home. We welcome that and adjust for it in our modelling.
BER: A valuable guide, not a crystal ball
BER are intended to be a standardised measure to compare the energy performance of homes, much like how fuel consumption ratings are used for cars. They are not intended to predict actual energy use, which can vary depending on occupancy patterns and occupant behaviours, much like the actual fuel consumption of a car depends massively on driver behaviour and habits. Furthermore, the research shows clearly that home values increase alongside the energy performance rating, while getting into the B range can open access to green mortgage products.
Retrofitting is about more than climate goals
There has never been a better time to retrofit your home. The government grants have never been more generous, and the practical imperative to do so, never as persuasive. The evidence to date shows that most homeowners adopt a step-by-step approach to retrofitting their homes and may not reach the target of a B2 in the first go. We support that approach, with several new measures announced by Minister O’Brien earlier this year, aimed at making it more accessible and affordable to upgrade your home. And there is no doubt that people are pivoting towards the schemes in significant numbers.
Momentum in the retrofit sector is strong. Last year SEAI supported 58,000 home energy upgrades – the highest level ever recorded. Solar deployment is also accelerating. In late 2025, SEAI surpassed 100,000 grant‑aided solar installations, with almost one third of those installed last year alone. And Ireland is currently joint fourth in the EU for heat pump deployment rates.
Ireland’s retrofit programme is not just about climate targets or payback periods. It is about warmer homes, better health, lower and more predictable energy bills, and greater national energy security. The task now is to build on the significant progress to date and continue scaling delivery so that more households can reap those benefits.
This article first appeared as an oped in The Irish Independent on 1 April 2026
