'We are here to help people upgrade their homes' - Sligo Leitrim Energy Agency coming to Carrick

Leitrim Climate Action Week is commencing on October 13 and Sligo Leitrim Energy Agency (SLEA) will be making a presentation on Tuesday, October 14 in The Breffni Centre in Carrick-on-Shannon at 6.30pm to 8.30pm. 

The Sligo Leitrim Energy Agency, or SLEA is a small, local team who "help people get grants", Kevin Kelly, Energy manager with SLEA explained when he spoke to the Leitrim Observer.

"We look at local homes and retrofit options and the typical cost and give guidance on the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). At the event we will be offering Home Energy Assessments at a reduced price; that assessment will provide a base level of where their house is at and what it would typically cost to retrofit."

A not-for-profit agency, backed by the EU, Sligo and Leitrim County councils and the ATU Sligo, SLEA help people upgrade their homes and buildings to use less energy. 

He continued: "We make people's houses warmer and try and save them on their bills; we guide them through the process. We will go out and get a BER done and from there, we will carry out a technical assessment. From there, we can provide them with a rough estimate on what it will cost to carry out the work required."

That might mean insulation, new heating systems, or solar panels and the team guide people through grants and the retrofit process from start to finish.
They work on two main schemes -  Community Energy Grant (CEG)- for homes, businesses and community buildings – grants range from €15–30K approx and the Warmer Homes Scheme- free energy upgrades for eligible homeowners on certain social welfare payments.

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SLEA is just two years old and has completed 18 homes and seven non-domestic projects under CEG (by July 2025) and 44 homes under the Warmer Homes Scheme. Kevin said that he was in Galway this week carrying out surveys in six houses. "It's a good thing that we are doing; SEAI fund that; the tenants don't pay anything and it looks after people who are vulnerable due to various different circumstances."

Their current CEG project (ten homes) is already full and a new application round for another ten homes opens in October 2025.

Kevin said: "We are here to help people upgrade their homes and that might mean insulation, new heating systems, solar panels; and we guide them through the grant process. We apply on their behalf for the grant. We go to SEAI and say that we want funding for ten houses for example and for that funding we want €300,000. Then we go out to the community and find ten homes that are looking to get a retrofit done. Generally, people can get grants from €15,000 up to €30,000 whereas if they went individually, the max they would get would be maybe €14,000."

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Kevin said that much of his work is around educating people on the benefits of making their home energy efficient. He previously worked for Green Air Technologies in Leitrim for ten years; a renewable energy company, offering Passive standard home builds, insulation, retro fit, extensions and renovations.

He said: "Since 2017, we had companies from Tipperary, Cork etc. and they were administering the grant for our people here in Leitrim and Sligo so you had companies, especially from Dublin, bringing down their own contractors to do the jobs so we wanted to look after our own contractors here who are equally as qualified and look after are own people. For me, that's what I love about this job; we're looking after own people and keeping it within the community."

Kevin concluded: "Always at least try and look after your fabric and even if you roll out some insulation in your attic, that's a start. Where the Community Energy Grant is different is it takes into consideration windows and doors whereas going the individual route, you won't get a grant for windows and doors. You also get a grant towards air tightness and towards our fee too actually, for project management as well as a grant towards home energy assessment. So you get more grants when going through us than going the individual route."

For more details follow Sligo Leitrim Energy Agency on Facebook and LinkedIn for updates, grant info, and events or get in touch directly through email on info@sligoleitrimenergyagency.ie or 0874031899. 

For all the events taking place over Leitrim Climate Action Week please visit here.