It’s time to start thinking of home insulation, to make our homes more comfortable and to cut down on heating bills. I’ve made funding available for grant assistance, under the Home Energy Saving Scheme and I’d encourage all interested to apply as soon as possible. Insulation works including roof and attic insulation, external and cavity wall insulation, and boiler replacements can be carried out at a subsidised cost. There are significant savings to be made – with a full range of measures; householders can save up to €700 annually. The real saving, however, is in improving the long-term energy efficiency of your house. Up to €40 million has been paid to nearly 40,000 houses in the country so far. Funding is also available through the Warmer Homes Scheme, for those in the lower income bracket – 15,000 people have benefited this year. These schemes will be drawn into a wider National Retrofit programme next year, for which €130 million was made available in Budget 2010. Please see www.sei.ie/hes and www.sei.ie/whs for more details.