The Warmer Homes Scheme: Gormley & Ryan blow €100m on white elephant

In February 2009 Richard Tol on IrishEconomy.ie warned they were pushing a white elephant. Tol describes the national insulation programme as "... a decidedly second best way of reducing emissions, creating jobs, or reducing povery."

The results are in, and even the SEAI themselves admit it is a failure. Richard Tol again on IrishEconomy.ie says "I was wrong. I previously argued that subsidies for home insulation are an expensive way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The SEAI has now release a post-hoc assessment of the Warmer Homes Scheme. The executive summary puts a brave face on, but if you have a look at the detailed results, you soon discover that the Warmer Homes Scheme seems to have had no noticeable effect on fuel use (and hence emissions), poverty, comfort, or health. Most results are insignificant, a few are significant with the right sign, and a few significant with the wrong sign.

One of the striking results is that the control group (without subsidies) have put in about as much insulation as the intervention group (with subsidies)."

So we have yet another Green scheme that seems to have been all bluster and spin with absolutely no effect whatsoever. Another failed Green scheme to add to the ever growing list of failed Green schemes.

This is also being discussed on this thread over on Politics.ie.