Louth County Council announces €6.7m spend on retrofitting 228 homes

Council spent €6.7 million retrofitting local authority housing stock over the last two years

ABOVE: Chief Executive, Joan Martin visiting some of the recently completed retrofit properties in Dundalk & Drogheda. Also in photos: Gerard Savage, Asst Engineer, Pat Casey, Housing Supervisor & Paddy Donnelly, Director of Services

Louth County Council says it has €6.7 million retrofitting 228 units in its local authority housing stock over the last two years, ensuring warmer, cleaner, more energy efficient homes.

The Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme (EERP) launched in 2021 is one of the pillars of the Housing for All initiative. The objective of the scheme is to improve the energy efficiency of County Council Housing stock to a minimum energy rating of B2.

A ten-year programme will see older housing stock retrofitted with the latest energy efficiency technologies including improved insulation, air to heat pumps and ancillary heating and water management systems. The installation of new window and door units is also a feature of the retrofit programme in many of the houses.

Louth County Council Project Manager, Edel O’Neill, Executive Engineer confirmed the completion of 64 retrofit homes in 2021 at a cost of €1.7 million. There were a further 164 homes retrofitted in 2022 at a cost of €5 million.

“The improvements mean a warmer, cleaner, and more efficient home with a single utility bill. The improvements have meant no more carrying and storing of solid fuel products.

“No messy cleaning of open fireplaces and an all-round improvement in the comfort for those living in the houses,” said the Project Manager.

Above: Project Manager, Edel O’Neill, Executive Engineer and members of the Housing Technical team briefed the Chief Executive on the progress of the work

Plans for 2023 are at an advance stage, the local authority says, with specialist contractors already engaged to commence work once final approval of funding for the 2023 scope of works is finalised by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Speaking of the success of the scheme the Director of Services for Social Development, Paddy Donnelly outlined some of the learnings the team have gained from the first two years of the scheme.

“These include the management of energy credits that the scheme generates, which are a tangible benefit realised by the Council from the chosen Obligated Parties.

“Such is the success that the team plan in collaboration with energy and construction partners and with the cooperation of the tenants to retrofit an estimated 250 homes in 2023.”

Louth County Council says that such a delivery will see it retrofit all its existing stock with a below B2 rating within the period of the ten-year programme.