On 25 August 2026, Retrofit Energy Ireland (REIL) and the Credit Union Development Association (CUDA) brought HERO contractors and representatives from three pilot Credit Unions together in Tullamore for a first-of-its-kind alignment event, marking a practical step forward for community-based home retrofit finance in Ireland.
The session, hosted in Tullamore, was attended by staff from Tullamore Credit Union, Credit Union Plus, and Limerick and District Credit Union, with attendees drawn from Lending and Business Development, Marketing, and Lending Controller roles — reflecting the breadth of expertise Credit Unions bring to supporting homeowners through their retrofit journey. HERO contractors also attended, giving both sides a shared understanding of how the pathway works end to end.
REIL CEO Paddy Sweeney presented the HERO programme, an EU-funded initiative delivering a registered One Stop Shop model that is scaling Ireland’s home energy retrofit sector through a structured partnership approach. The presentation set out how HERO combines SEAI grant supports and local Credit Union finance to give homeowners a clear, joined-up route from initial enquiry through to a completed retrofit.
The event was as much about listening as presenting. A lively Q&A session saw attendees raise practical, on-the-ground questions — from how SEAI grant approval and drawdown timing works, to how the local Credit Union loan sits alongside the grant, to the kind of language that genuinely resonates with homeowners considering a retrofit. That discussion is already shaping the content of the next round of training.
Feedback from the day was strongly positive, with attendees particularly valuing the end-to-end walkthrough of the process and the opportunity to ask questions directly of the team delivering it. For REIL and CUDA, the Tullamore event represents a foundational step: aligning contractors and Credit Union staff on a shared understanding of the pathway before rolling out dedicated counter staff training, so that members walking into their local Credit Union with retrofit questions are met with confidence and clarity.
A similar session is being planned for a fourth CUDA Credit Union in County Kerry, with wider rollout to additional Credit Unions and HERO contractor areas expected from September 2026 onwards.
The Tullamore event is a clear signal of what HERO is built on: strong local partnerships between contractors, Credit Unions, and the communities they serve. As the programme continues to scale, these relationships will be central to helping more homeowners access the finance and support they need to make their homes warmer, more efficient, and more comfortable.
