Cork Cities Home Energy UpGrade Office (HEUGO) is due to open in the coming weeks on the Grand Parade. The premises will be a focal point offering free advice to the public as part of the Regional Action for the Southern Region. The purpose of HEUGO is to provide the public and homeowners with an information outlet in an open-minded, friendly environment. Cork City Council and their approved Implementation Champions will provide guidance to homeowners on how best to improve the energy efficiency of their homes.
In February 2022, the Irish government announced an improved grant scheme to upgrade homes with their funding amounting to €8 billion. The scheme will be administered by SEAI. Under Ireland’s Climate Action Plan 2019, the Irish government committed to achieving 500,000 building retrofits in the residential sector before 2030 to limit the greenhouse gas emissions and increase energy efficiency.
INTENSIFY - MORE CARBON REDUCTION THROUGH INTENSE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
Intensify involves engaging the public homeowner and empowering them with the knowledge and guidance to reduce their carbon impact on society and enabling them to make the transition to an energy efficient dwelling, contributing to a low carbon economy. Under the Intensify Project, which is funded by Interreg Europe, Cork City Council prepared a Regional Action Plan for the Southern Region identifying two actions to be achieved.
• Online Platform: The first action in the Regional Action Plan is to develop an informative online platform offering homeowners and communities the opportunity to engage with energy specialists and start the upgrade journey.
• Physical office/Presence: The second action identified is to open a physical office giving the public the opportunity to engage in face-to-face dialogue about the path to upgrading their homes. The amount of information available online can be overwhelming. The physical presence will provide the user with an opportunity to increase their knowledge in the steps needed to achieve their goals.
Engaging with the Intensify Project will inform the user about deep energy retrofitting, energy efficiency, energy sustainability and the use of solar and renewable energy in a clear and concise manner.
More information on the Regional Action Plan can be found here:: projects2014-2020.interregeurope.eu/intensify/library/
