An Post is offering a new ‘green loan’ at 4.9% interest rate for customers who want to retrofit their homes to cut their carbon footprint and save energy.
The company has launched a a ‘green hub’ to help people project-manage their retrofit and provide money-saving advice for all levels of home retro-fitting.
The one-stop-shop at the Green Hub will cover loan-only or full retrofit services, from initial home assessments to completed works and a seamless SEAI grant application and payment process.
An Post has joined with energy company SSE Airtricity to give free home assessments and fulfilment of works, and the loans come from its partnership with Avantcard, which provides the company’s credit card facility.
The hub gives users access to SSE Airtricity’s interactive tool which provides a clear first look at potential energy efficient measures and associated work for their particular home, based on their Eircode or current BER rating.
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According to An Post, this helps develop understanding of the likely project size, options, costs and benefits.
Managing director retail Debbie Byrne (pictured) said: “An Post’s financial strategy is to be central to the national push to retrofit up to 500,000 houses and through householders’ desire to make environmentally responsible decisions.
“Our customer-friendly ‘Green Hub’ is our way of supporting this essential plan for Ireland. We have a proven commitment to sustainability. We have Ireland’s largest e-vehicle fleet and our Eco-plan, a company-wide programme of measures supporting that commitment.
“We already provide our customers with trusted, value-for-money products. As other financial networks retreat, we have invested in improving and expanding our retail and financial services for individuals and the communities we serve.”
The annual interest rate of 4.9% will apply to retrofit loans of €20,000 and more, with varying rates available for other loans. And the hub also provides loans specifically for those who plan to buy an electric car.
Klair Neenan, managing director of SSE Airtricity commented: “SSE Airtricity is delighted to partner with An Post to launch The Generation Green Home Upgrade Programme, a ‘one stop shop’ for home energy retrofits, as we both look to help Ireland transition to a more sustainable future.
"We are investing significantly in this programme which will include the direct creation of up to 40 new skilled jobs including project managers, surveyors, and administrators. In addition, the work generated by SSE Airtricity through this programme will indirectly support and generate up to 150 additional jobs across our contracting partners and suppliers.
"The Generation Green Home Upgrade aims to cut through the complexity for consumers by providing the whole-home retrofit solution alongside straightforward low-cost finance options under one roof. We will provide expert end-to-end project management for home energy renovations with Kingspan, Munster Joinery, and Activ8 Energies."
