About Us

People who – own their own house; and whose house was built before 2006; and who are in receipt of ONE of the following qualifying social welfare allowance:

· Fuel Allowance
· Jobseekers Allowance for more than 6 months with children under the age of 7
· Working Family Payment (formerly known as Family Income Supplement)
· One-Parent Family Payment
· Domiciliary Care Allowance
· Carers Allowance and living in the same household as the person you are caring for

No other social welfare payments are included in the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme at present.

Unfortunately, at present the only qualifying social welfare allowances are:

Fuel Allowance
Job-seekers Allowance for more than 6 months and with a child under the age of 7
Working Family Payment (formerly known as Family Income Supplement)
One-Parent Family Payment
Domiciliary Care Allowance
Carers Allowance

Under the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme wall insulation, attic insulation, roof and wall ventilation, draught proofing, pipe insulation, cold and hot water tank lagging jackets, low energy light bulbs and Building Energy Ratings (BER) are covered under the scheme.

Occasionally, during the survey of a house the surveyor may recommend a new heating system be installed or windows replaced. These are recommended on a case by case basis, and will be advised during the initial survey.

There are a variety of wall insulation which can be installed. The most appropriate solution will be assess and recommended during survey stage on the house. This includes:

Cavity wall insulation:

Cavity wall insulation is installed for walls where there is a cavity present, the appropriate ventilation must be installed as part of the process.

External wall insulation:

External wall insulation is installed on walls that are solid or hollow block, however stone or solid brick houses cannot be installed. Appropriate ventilation to current standards must be installed as part of the process.

Internal wall dry lining:

Internal wall insulation is installed on solid or hollow block walls where external insulation is not suitable – stone or solid brick houses cannot be installed. Appropriate ventilation to current standards must be installed as part of the process.

Most attics can be insulated under the Warmer Homes Scheme with the exception of dormer attics. Attics are required to be cleared to allow their installation.

All houses are surveyed prior to works commencing, this includes assessing the walls and attic. You will be informed at survey stage if works can proceed on your house. If walls cannot be insulated but attics can, you will be advised of this and works can proceed; or the same applies if walls can be insulated and the attic cannot.

Currently there is a high demand for works under the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme, but applications are still been accepted and processed. Once the application is processed and initial survey will take place and works will be scheduled. At present SEAI estimate the wait time to be approximately 12 months.

Depending on the works to be installed in your house will depend on how long the contractor will be at your house. Cavity wall and attic insulation – these normally take a day, but will depend on the size of the house. The roof and wall ventilation can be installed in advance of the works or on the day of the works.

External Wall and Internal Wall insulation take longer to install. Depending on the size and condition of the house – this can take a few days or a number of weeks. To install external wall insulation, exterior fixtures have to be removed, these includes ESB meter, lighting fixtures, SKY dishes, etc – these can take time to be moved.

Internal Wall insulation requires the removal of items on the interior wall, e.g furniture, personal items etc. Plasterboard, skimming and painting will have to be installed to the interior walls.

Regardless of the measure/measures being installed, some form of ventilation will require to be installed. The appropriate ventilation will be assess for each home and discussed with the homeowner prior to installation of the works approved and the required ventilation

Cavity Wall insulation is installed by NSAI approved installer. In installing cavity wall insulation,bead is pumped into the exterior wall with a bonding agent, which hardens and forms an insulated mass. The bead is installed after the exterior wall is drilled in a pattern as approved by the registering body for the particular house type. Once the cavity wall material is pumped into the house, the holes are filled and colour matched to the houses colour. The homeowner should notice a difference in the heat retention straight away.

External wall insulation is installed to the exterior of a house – it is effectively a wrap of insulation to the exterior walls of a house. Firstly the house is made ready for the insulation to be fitted, any external fittings are removed to allow the board to be fitted to the walls. Once this is done, a mesh is added to give the boards added strength. A render/base coat of plaster is applied to the boards and mesh. A final plaster coat is applied, which includes the colour which the client has requested. the final result is a warm house and a completed, smooth, painted exterior. there are a number of variables which contribute to the length of time it takes to install the external wall insulation – weather, removing fixtures, erecting scaffolding, size and location of house, etc.

Internal wall insulation is only recommended if either cavity wall or external wall insulation is not deemed suitable for the house. Internal wall insulation may cause disruption for the homeowner as fixtures on the internal; walls will require to be removed and furniture and personal belongings will have to be removed also to allow the works. Internal Wall insulation is where a thermal plasterboard is fitted to the internal wall of a house, which is then plastered and results in an energy efficient home. The process may take time, as items have to be removed/stored by the homeowner prior to works and this may take time, also walls may have to be made good by the contractors before the works can commence.

Under the Better energy Warmer Homes Scheme attic insulation to a depth of 300 mm is required in an attic, any existing insulation in the attic will be included in this depth. The attic insulation is rolled out, cut to the required length and fitted between the joists. If there are down-light in the ceilings, covers are used to eliminate the risk of fire and overheating. Tank jackets are also installed on the hot and cold water tanks in the attic, and pipes are also insulated. Walkways are also fitted for ease of access to the water tank in the attic.Draught proofing is fitted around the attic hatch to prevent warm air escaping.

Attic insulation is installed to a depth of 300 mm. Any existing insulation will be included in this amount. Attic insulation is rolled out and cut to the required dimensions to fit between the joists. Down-light covers are used on any lighting to eliminate the risk of fire and overheating. In addition, tank jackets are installed on the hot and cold water tanks and pipe insulation is installed along any pipes. Walkways are provided so you can access the water tanks in the attic. You’ll also receive an insulated attic hatch so that warm air does not escape through the attic’s access point.

Your home will be draught proofed on the day the insulation is installed. We provide draught proofing around windows and doors, including door seals, door brushes, letter box brushes and draught proofing around the attic hatch. Draught proofing requirements vary widely from house to house, so you’ll know more when the initial site survey is complete and the installers arrive on-site.

Under the Better Energy Warmer homes Scheme only houses built before 2006 are eligible to participate in the scheme. Houses built from 2006 will not be accepted under the scheme as they should have been built to 2003 Building Regulations and should have sufficient insulation.
Applications received for houses built after 2006 will unfortunately be rejected.

Unfortunately, you may only participate in the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme once, even if you continue to meet the scheme criteria,this is due to the high demand for the scheme.

No. Under the Better energy Warmer homes Scheme only owner occupier homes built before 2006 is covered by the scheme.
Your landlord could apply under the Better energy Homes Scheme if they would like to upgrade the property.

If your home does not currently have a heating system, or when SEAI survey your home and they consider that the current system is inefficient, a heating system may be recommended. Heating systems are considered a secondary measure, and will only be recommended if other installation works are being recommended. The installation of a new heating system may require additional works, e.g radiators, TRV’s oil tanks, etc. Works inside the home may also require to be completed when fitting a new heating system, e.g floorboards may have to be moved, the heating contractor will explain all the works which will be completed in your home.
New heating systems are not recommended for every house.

Window replacement may be recommended following the survey of your house. Under the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme windows will only be recommended where there are single glazed windows in place currently. Windows will only be recommended on a window by window basis – which means the full house may not receive window replacement. Windows will only be considered where walls of the house are being insulated. Windows are considered a secondary measure. If new windows are recommended they will be required to be measured, ordered and fitted – this can take between 4 and 6 weeks but may be longer. External doors are not recommended under the scheme.

You can download from the website, phone us on 090-6488292 and we can post an application form out to you, or fill in your contact details on the website and we will contact you directly to arrange an application form for you.

We will post an application to you to complete and return. You can post the completed application with supporting documents to us or email to us at info@midlandwarmerhomes.ie.

If you require any help in completing your application please contact us by email, through Facebook or call us at 090 6488292, during normal business hours (9:30am – 5:00pm Monday to Friday).

The following documents are required when submitting your application form:
1. signed application form – by the homeowner and the local Department of Social Protection – they are required to sign and stamp the application form to advise that you are in receipt of one of the qualifying allowance – Fuel Allowance, Job-seekers allowance (for more than 6 months with a child under 7); One Parent Family Payment; Working Family allowance; Domiciliary Care allowance; or Careers Allowance and living with the person you care for
2. Proof of home ownership – house insurance, or deeds of your house, or mortgage statement or local property tax letter with utility bill

If you are in receipt of Carers Allowance you must live with the person you are caring for. A Carers Allowance Certification Form will be required to be completed with your application and stamped by the Department of Employment Affairs & Social Protection.

Once you submit your application it will be reviewed and processed if it meets the criteria. After this stage you will receive a phone-call to arrange an on-site survey, where the house will be surveyed. As mentioned there is a wait time, and this varies by area also. Once the application has been approved and processed we can update you on your application.

You will be contacted if your application has not been approved. Other grants will be advised e.g. Better Energy Homes.

The address to return your completed application and supporting documentation is listed on the application. Please return all applications to:

Midland Warmer Homes
Curraghboy
Athlone
Co Roscommon
N37 K102

Yes, but the application must be signed by you and stamped by your local Department of Social Protection. You can scan the application and supporting documentation and email the files to info@midlandwarmerhomes.ie.

An application is returned if the application form is incomplete – examples are if the form is not signed by the homeowner, or the social welfare office; if correct proof of home-ownership is not received; if the application is on the wrong form. If you have any questions prior to submitting the application form please contact us on 090-6488292 or info@midlandwarmerhomes.ie

Unfortunately at present we cannot accept applications online, as we require you to sign the application form, and it also has to be stamped by your local social welfare office. You can email the application and the relevant documents to us at info@midlandwarmerhomes.ie

No, unfortunately if you have applied to SEAI directly, they will not accept a second application. Your second application will be returned to you.