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Midlands Retrofit Programme for Local Authority Homes

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  • 27-02-2021 10:52pm
    #1
    KTBFFH
    Registered Users Posts: 129 ✭✭


    We live in a council house and have recently been informed that our house/estate will be part of the governments Retrofit Programme for Local Authority Homes.The details of the programme can be found here:
    https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/de8c5-midlands-retrofit-programme-for-local-authority-homes-2020/


    Suppousedly the deep retrofit will include an air to water heat pump, solar panels on roof, complete rewiring of the electrics and change to airtight doors/windows, along with Carbon monoxide alarms and other smaller jobs needed to bring it up to required standard.


    Has anyone else had people in surveying their council house in the past year? Has anyone been informed they are a part of this scheme?



    Personally, we are thrilled with the news, it would be a pipe dream to afford ourselves and will make a big difference to our air quality, health and general wellbeing. And hopefully cheaper bills overall.
    However, some residents are already starting to complain and say they will refuse any changes. Some residents want to keep their range/fire for heating and continue burning turf.


    Others do not want to temporarily move out of their home while the retrofit is being undertaken. (A deep retrofit means significant refurbishments and it will not be possible to stay while work is undertaken)


    I guess I am just putting the information out there as this will become more and more common in future. What do people think? Would be glad to hear peoples opinions...


Comments

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    #2
    beggars_bush
    Registered Users Posts: 4,343 ✭✭✭beggars_bush


    A house that doesn't burn fuel will be far healthier

    Your electricity costs may go up


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    #3
    KTBFFH
    Registered Users Posts: 129 ✭✭KTBFFH


    beggars_bush wrote: »
    A house that doesn't burn fuel will be far healthier

    Your electricity costs may go up


    That is definitely true. I am hoping that the electricity costs will not increase significantly due to the solar panels being included in the retrofit. Without those, costs would definitely increase significantly compared to what we currently pay for our fuel source (turf cutting).


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    #4
    Calahonda52
    Registered Users Posts: 12,193 ✭✭✭✭Calahonda52


    Electrician is in breach of GDPR and other terms and conditions in the contract so I would suggest he keeps his trap shut if he wants to keep the contract. I have the generic contract to hand as I pen this.

    https://www.ted.com/talks/alex_laskey_how_behavioral_science_can_lower_your_energy_bill

    “I can’t pay my staff or mortgage with instagram likes”.



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    #5
    KTBFFH
    Registered Users Posts: 129 ✭✭KTBFFH


    Calahonda52 wrote: »
    Electrician is in breach of GDPR and other terms and conditions in the contract so I would suggest he keeps his trap shut if he wants to keep the contract. I have the generic contract to hand as I pen this.

    https://www.ted.com/talks/alex_laskey_how_behavioral_science_can_lower_your_energy_bill


    Can you be specific about what GDPR is being broken? No names or addresses or anything similar were mentioned.

    The scheme is widely reported since December 2020 and names of areas, estates etc involved have already been officially released and even welcome by local councillors.

    If someone is coming into our home to take surveys and potentially move us out for a month to undertake work, I am pretty sure residents are entitled to know what is happening or being planned.


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    #6
    Gumbo
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 38,437 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    Fantastic opportunity for you OP. I would be grabbing it with open arms.

    This kind of retrofit would be a pipe dream to home owners alike as it is a substantial cost to get this done.


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    #7
    Metric Tensor
    Registered Users Posts: 3,724 ✭✭✭Metric Tensor


    I'm with Gumbo here OP. This sounds like a good deal all round. Your house will be more comfortable, healthier to live in, cheaper to run and you'll also be helping reduce carbon emissions.

    The only downside is that you'll no longer be able to burn turf, which I take it is currently free except for the labour?

    You will now be paying via your electricity bill to heat your house but the other works, insulation, air-tightness, solar panels should offset quite a bit of this. I can't tell you a number but assuming it's not a mansion I don't think the additional bills should be too much.


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    #8
    Gumbo
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 38,437 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    That’s it, your just swapping a gas bill
    For an increased ESB bill. All going to plan, your total ESB bill should be noticeably lower than your current gas and ESB bill combined now.


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    #9
    Metric Tensor
    Registered Users Posts: 3,724 ✭✭✭Metric Tensor


    Gumbo - I think the issue in semi-rural ireland is that there is only a small gas/oil bill because the OP cuts and harvests their own turf for most of their heating - which is free (except of course for the back-breaking, soul-destroying, indescribable agony of spending your summer weeks turning, stacking and bagging sods of dried muck whilst simultaneously in a pitched battle with midges the size of volkswagens).


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    #10
    KTBFFH
    Registered Users Posts: 129 ✭✭KTBFFH


    Thanks for all your kind words so far. Like I previously said, we are very excited about the transition in this household.

    Just to be clear: we have no gas bills and we get a fill of oil (€250) that easily last us more than a year because we rarely use it. Currently, our main source of heat is buring turf through our range. The bog is ours, so our only cost is the €250 to cut enough to cover the year. And yes, the back-breaking work of saving that turf and bringing it home!
    I am definitely curious as to how much our electricity bills will go up, we are going ahead with the retrofit no matter what, but I do know some neighbours who are strongly against it for this reason, fearing that their overall heating costs will rise significantly. Add that to cutting turf being a cultural way of life for many of the older residents and the conversation can get divisive.
    I feel a lot of people are failing to take into account the long term health benefits. Plus, how often does the council come to you and say 'we want to invest €25,000 into your house in improvements, at little cost to you.'

    The retrofit does include solar panels, so I am hoping that will eat into a good chunk of our new energy bill costs.
    For anyone interested, a list of the works include:
    - Remove and decommission the stove and range. (This must be done)

    • Install New external PVC Doors and a service to the Windows.

    • New 100mm external wall insulation.

    • Add insulation to the attic and construct a permanent boarded walkway.

    • Sealing the heat loss envelope of building.

    • Replace the current oil and/or solid fuel heating system with an energy efficient air to water heat pump including new radiators.

    • Change the lighting to energy efficient LED's.

    • Testing for Radon gas.

    • Installation of Photovoltaic solar panels that will reduce your energy bill.

    • Periodic electrical inspection and replacement of smoke and heat detectors.

    • Installation of a demand-controlled ventilation system.


  • Options
    #11
    Biker1
    Registered Users Posts: 369 ✭✭Biker1


    Excellent description of the joys of saving turf. Had erased it from my memory.


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    #12
    0lddog
    Registered Users Posts: 3,292 ✭✭✭0lddog


    Recalling some of the horror stories that have appeared on Boards about getting heat pumps repaired / replaced.....

    OP, do you know would the responsibility for HP repair / maintenance / replacement fall to yourselves or to the council ?


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    #13
    sydthebeat
    Subscribers Posts: 40,988 ✭✭✭✭sydthebeat


    0lddog wrote: »
    Recalling some of the horror stories that have appeared on Boards about getting heat pumps repaired / replaced.....

    OP, do you know would the responsibility for HP repair / maintenance / replacement fall to yourselves or to the council ?

    They are local authority homes.

    Its up to the local authority to maintain them


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    #14
    0lddog
    Registered Users Posts: 3,292 ✭✭✭0lddog


    sydthebeat wrote: »
    They are local authority homes.

    Its up to the local authority to maintain them


    :)


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    #15
    KTBFFH
    Registered Users Posts: 129 ✭✭KTBFFH


    sydthebeat wrote: »
    They are local authority homes.

    Its up to the local authority to maintain them


    This has not yet been confirmed to us. Given the significant cost, I imagine the council will have to take some responsibility over it (possibly wishful thinking) but in saying that, it stipulates in our initial contract that servicing of our heating system (range+oil) falls to us. We have paid for any oil tank servicing, changes, chimney cleaning etc. in the past decade.

    So that is a very pertinent question, and someting I will be raising in future, thank you.


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    #16
    kieran.
    Registered Users Posts: 1,174 ✭✭✭kieran.


    Which local authority is it with?


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    #17
    sydthebeat
    Subscribers Posts: 40,988 ✭✭✭✭sydthebeat


    KTBFFH wrote: »
    This has not yet been confirmed to us. Given the significant cost, I imagine the council will have to take some responsibility over it (possibly wishful thinking) but in saying that, it stipulates in our initial contract that servicing of our heating system (range+oil) falls to us. We have paid for any oil tank servicing, changes, chimney cleaning etc. in the past decade.

    So that is a very pertinent question, and someting I will be raising in future, thank you.

    Servicing.

    But I bet if your heating system went kaput tomorrow your land lord (the council) is duty bound to fix it.

    Unless your not a council tenent


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    #18
    0lddog
    Registered Users Posts: 3,292 ✭✭✭0lddog


    KTBFFH wrote: »
    This has not yet been confirmed to us. Given the significant cost, I imagine the council will have to take some responsibility over it (possibly wishful thinking) but in saying that, it stipulates in our initial contract that servicing of our heating system (range+oil) falls to us...


    Try to avoid being landed in a situation like for instance this :


    https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2058139594


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    #19
    KTBFFH
    Registered Users Posts: 129 ✭✭KTBFFH


    kieran. wrote: »
    Which local authority is it with?


    With respect, I do not feel comfortable giving that information publicly or in general, without a purpose.



    I refer you to the publication for extra information: http://www.housing.old.gov.ie/housing/building-standards/energy-performance-buildings/midlands-retrofit-programme-local-authority


  • Options
    #20
    KTBFFH
    Registered Users Posts: 129 ✭✭KTBFFH


    sydthebeat wrote: »
    Servicing.

    But I bet if your heating system went kaput tomorrow your land lord (the council) is duty bound to fix it.

    Unless your not a council tenent


    You are probably correct, they might be duty bound. But if that happened and we did not pay (eg: our oil sevice) they do have reason to kick us out or move us on, as it is under their ownership. They are much more likely to be proactive in taking contol of the property they own after significant investment. For example, there has been nobody from the council here for a decade in our small, rural village checking the estate, but now that this retrofit has been announced we have had endless people surveying/looking at the house in less than a year. There is no issue with that. but communication form the council leaves a lot to be desired


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    #21
    BryanF
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 10,140 Mod ✭✭✭✭BryanF


    https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2058165388


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