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An examination of the abandonment of applications for energy efficiency retrofit grants in Ireland

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  • Collins, Matthew
  • Curtis, John

Abstract

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) operates the Better Energy Homes (BEH) grant scheme to incentivise residential energy efficiency retrofits, an ongoing scheme which was implemented in 2009. This scheme provides a financial incentive for home owners to engage in energy efficiency retrofits, provided the upgrades meet appropriate energy efficiency standards. This study analyses the BEH data, which is comprised of all applications from March 2009 to October 2015, in order to examine the extent to which applications are abandoned and the determinants thereof. We find that more complicated retrofits are more likely to be abandoned, with variation across certain combinations of retrofit measure. We find lower probabilities of abandonment among certain obligated parties, who are energy retailers obliged by the State to reduce energy consumption in Ireland, while others possess greater likelihoods of abandonment, relative to private retrofits. We find that newer homes are less likely to abandon an application than older homes, as are applications made for apartments, relative to houses. Regional variations exist in abandonment, with rural households more likely to abandon than urban households. A seasonal trend in abandonment is also present, with higher likelihoods of abandonment among applications made during winter.

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  • Collins, Matthew & Curtis, John, 2017. "An examination of the abandonment of applications for energy efficiency retrofit grants in Ireland," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 260-270.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:100:y:2017:i:c:p:260-270
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2016.10.030
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    Cited by:

    1. Goggins, Gary & Rau, Henrike & Moran, Paul & Fahy, Frances & Goggins, Jamie, 2022. "The role of culture in advancing sustainable energy policy and practice," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    2. Pillai, Arya & Tovar Reaños, Miguel & Curtis, John, 2021. "An examination of energy efficiency retrofit scheme applications by low-income households in Ireland," Papers WP700, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    3. Collins, Matthew & Curtis, John, 2017. "Advertising and investment spillovers in the diffusion of residential energy efficiency renovations," Papers WP569, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    4. Collins, Matthew & Dempsey, Seraphim & Curtis, John, 2017. "Financial incentives for residential energy efficiency investments in Ireland: Should the status quo be maintained?," Papers WP562, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    5. O'Malley, Seamus & Roantree, Barra & Curtis, John, 2020. "Carbon taxes, poverty and compensation options," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number SUSTAT98, June.
    6. Matthew Collins & Seraphim Dempsey & John Curtis, 2018. "Householder Preferences for the Design of an Energy Efficiency Retrofit Subsidy in Ireland," The Economic and Social Review, Economic and Social Studies, vol. 49(2), pages 145-172.
    7. Collins, Matthew & Curtis, John, 2016. "Willingness-to-Pay and Free-Riding in a National Energy Efficiency Retrofit Grant Scheme: A Revealed Preference Approach," Papers WP551, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    8. Collins, Matthew & Curtis, John, 2018. "Willingness-to-pay and free-riding in a national energy efficiency retrofit grant scheme," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 211-220.
    9. Collins, Matthew & Curtis, John, 2017. "Identification of the information gap in residential energy efficiency: How information asymmetry can be mitigated to induce energy efficiency renovations," Papers WP558, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).

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