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Retrofitting

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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 616 ✭✭✭arch_stanton


    I'm not sure about the rules here on naming names but there's a number in it



  • Registered Users Posts: 430 ✭✭WacoKid


    Seems as if you experienced what I experienced about a month ago.



  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 17,620 Mod ✭✭✭✭DOCARCH


    Mod Note: Thanks. Please don't name the company.



  • Registered Users Posts: 727 ✭✭✭Cuttlefish


    I too received two quotes (verbally mind you) from a service provider who worked on about 6 houses in my estate over the past six weeks - half got a full external insular wrap while the other half got the gable end insulated


    the foreman called to my house (3 bed semi with garage) and gave me a quote of €15,500 and when I mentioned I would be applying for the SEAI grant he said well that is more or less double i asked why and he mentions engineer reports etc


    This is farcical !! Why would you apply for a widely publicised grant when they add onto the quote and even add more again??


    I haven’t been speaking to the neighbours who got the work done but am fairly certain they paid the service provider directly and didn’t apply for the grant


    I contacted SEAI to highlight this and ask if they heard of others getting the same inflated quotes and they just respond that these are independent businesses (and yes they are ) who can charge what they see fit



  • Registered Users Posts: 45,761 ✭✭✭✭muffler


    Get written quotations for both ... with and without the grant. If the one for the grant is any more then you have him by the short and curlies. There are loads of departments where you can forward this info to. See what amount he will then drop by before you raise the issue at another level.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 6,784 ✭✭✭Alkers


    I'm baulking at some of the prices being thrown around here.

    We had the following done in 2019 with the OSS trial in tandem with the credit unions.

    Note we are a terraced house (110sqm) with a kitchen extension (which didn't require insulation)

    EWI - front facade and rear above the kitchen

    New windows - triple glazed on front and double on rear - 6 windows (two large bay windows) and French doors to rear garden

    Attic insulation

    New Palladio front door with panel above and to either side

    Total cost was 18,900, cost after grants - 11,900.

    We had 2.5kW solar PV installed ourselves for 2,400e after grant (OSS wanted about 6k for this).

    We already had a modern condensing combi boiler.

    BER assessments included in above, now A3.

    "Project management" was quite limited, did a lot of coordination and specifications / detailing myself.



  • Registered Users Posts: 9,228 ✭✭✭cgcsb


    Thanks for this. Would appreciate if you could pm me the oss name



  • Registered Users Posts: 9,228 ✭✭✭cgcsb


    So I was very excited about this scheme. Bought an old end of terrace house recently and went to the seai website. To get some instant quotes (note they're computer generated so expected them to be high given that nobody had come to actually see my house so you have to have contingency etc.) The full retrofit for my 60sqm end of terrace was an eye watering 70k. And the break down seemed to suggest that the external wrap was going to be the guts of €20k, so I looked online to see if I could buy the materials myself, sure enough I could buy all materials for external wrap for about €4k. Is the labour really that much? I have no skills so trying to wrap the house myself would be too onerous and I've only youtube videos to guide but surely I could get someone to wrap my (tiny) home for less than 10k.

    They also want 4k plus for attic insulation. I mean I don't need much in construction skills to buy a few rolls and roll them out myself for 1k.


    The comments here seem to confirm that the whole thing is just more corruption/scams. The OSS people are probably freinds of the ruling parties. So disappointing.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,487 ✭✭✭hesker


    What sort of detail are people getting on quotes from OSS.

    Here is an example of what I am getting on one item, MVHR.


    Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery €9000


    That's it. Zero detail.

    Has anyone actually proceeded with one of these. Did you get issued a contract or a quote which showed the make & model of units such as MVHR or heat pumps. I'd like to actually know what I'm forking money out on before I committ. I'm waiting on OSS to supply more detailed info but it's like getting blood from a stone.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,735 ✭✭✭funnyname


    ...



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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,735 ✭✭✭funnyname


    Out of curiosity is that post or pre grant price? We installed ours last year in a 220sqm house as part of a big renovation pre the grants updates and it cost 8k plus vat.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,487 ✭✭✭hesker




  • Registered Users Posts: 620 ✭✭✭Meeoow


    I was thinking of doing a deep Retrofit. I notice that there are more OOS coming onto the seai website now, and they seem to be slackening a bit on jobs. I applied months ago, and am only getting replies now. But they seem to have more availability too, like people are not using them.

    But they quoted me 850 for the energy assessment, which is literally 2 hours in my house. I'm thinking, if they are that expensive before I even start the project, then what are they going to charge for the full job?

    So I think I will go with the individual upgrades.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,123 ✭✭✭kabakuyu


    I got six solar panels(2.4kwp) installed with micro inverters for 2.7k. by a RECI sparks and his roofer friend, the Seai registered guys wanted 5,600E for thew same job.Yuo much better off avoiding the OSS.



  • Registered Users Posts: 430 ✭✭WacoKid


    I paid €675 for the energy assessment and you can only claim back this if you proceed with an OSS.



  • Registered Users Posts: 620 ✭✭✭Meeoow


    Yes, no such thing as a free lunch when the government implement something. It all sounds great, but when you scratch the surface, it's no great shakes.



  • Registered Users Posts: 9,228 ✭✭✭cgcsb


    Applied to a few one stop shops about a month ago, heard nothing back or got a "sorry, too busy" message. Got 2 phone calls this morning from sales people who were borderline hysterical insisting that I get an energy assessment done with them. What is going on?



  • Registered Users Posts: 757 ✭✭✭C. Eastwood




  • Registered Users Posts: 620 ✭✭✭Meeoow


    I think you have to get an energy assessment done to avail of the one stop shop. The price of it is ridiculous, even with the 350 rebate. If they are going to screw you before they start the job, I don't have any faith that they won't screw you once you commit to the Retrofit.



  • Registered Users Posts: 363 ✭✭Biker1


    Energy assessment includes survey of house, publishing of new BER, technical assessment and full report on what measures are required. There is a fair bit of time involved in the whole process. Add to that travelling time and multiple back and forth with the contractor then €850 is about correct. Also that would include 23% vat.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 620 ✭✭✭Meeoow


    It doesn't include VAT. VAT was extra on the quote that I got. Plus I was told they would be 1 to 2 hours in my house, so even including travel, the quote is daylight robbery in my opinion.

    Also, no back and forth with contractor. This would be in the project management phase, which is extra if you go with the OOS.



  • Registered Users Posts: 9,228 ✭✭✭cgcsb


    It doesn't make any sense. I can tell a contractor what I want to do to make my home more energy efficient.



  • Registered Users Posts: 235 ✭✭Bradz213


    But can you do the room by room per and post upgrade heat loss calculations?



  • Registered Users Posts: 9,228 ✭✭✭cgcsb


    Probably but why would I bother, all that matters is that I'm buying less energy in the form of gas and electricity



  • Registered Users Posts: 175 ✭✭Sean Seoighe


    Query for anyone who's used SEAI One Stop Shops for retrofits...

    We've already had energy assessment from 2EVA and upgrade report so know what needs to be done to the house from a energy efficiency / retrofit POV and in the process of developing detailed drawings and specifications.

    1.So, if we engage a OSS is it enough for them to take our specs etc or will they want input into any of the energy aspects? Concern being that detailed drawings and specs are kind of on hold without OSS possibly amending them.

    2. If you've used a OSS how did you select one? Is there any difference between them?

    3. Anyone who's used Kore had any good or bad experiences? Lessons learned?

    4. Onboarding building contractors - I understand that OSS won't doing the works themselves but will instead PM it so its up to you to bring to them a SEAI registered contractor. If you want a builder to be onboarded do you know is it in anyway arduous process? Just want to check before asking anyone.



  • Registered Users Posts: 9,228 ✭✭✭cgcsb


    I believe this scheme is being replaced by a new one that's more, fit for purpose so maybe wait for the new scheme to start??

    The OSS is a gouge, you'll pay highly inflated prices for everything included in the retrofit and a 'project management fee'



  • Registered Users Posts: 175 ✭✭Sean Seoighe




  • Registered Users Posts: 9,228 ✭✭✭cgcsb


    I heard it mentioned on the news, basically you'll be able to get finance for home retrofitting below market rate, so something between 3% and 8% but the scheme is of course delayed and there's no word on how they plan to stop contractors gouging, if at all.



  • Registered Users Posts: 175 ✭✭Sean Seoighe




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  • Registered Users Posts: 31,001 ✭✭✭✭Lumen


    It might be below market rate for unsecured loans, but it's well above market rate for mortgages. This sort of finance is most suited to mortgage credit because it's literally secured to the fabric of the building. Problem is that a lot of old, cold buildings are lived in by people beyond working age who would struggle to get mortgage finance. It'd make most sense for the govt to be financing it directly and for a lien to be put on the property so that it gets paid off when they, eh, move out.

    As with many of these policies introduced or kite-flown over the last few years, it seems purposely designed to achieve nothing.



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