The 1000th customer has benefited from the government's renewable energy grant initiative, Reconnect.

Energy Minister Nigel Dodds visited the McKenna family, at their home in Kircubbin, Co Down. The McKennas received two Reconnect grants to help install a wood-fuelled boiler and solar hot water panel.

Reconnect is the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment's renewable energy grant initiative that offers grants of up to 50 per cent to private homeowners seeking to install renewable energy systems. These range from heat pumps to small-scale wind turbines and wood pellet stoves to solar hot water panels.

Mr Dodds said: "Reaching this 1000th customer milestone is testament to the fact that people here are starting to recognise the benefits of reconnecting to renewable energy, not to mention combating the threat to the environment from fossil fuels.

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"Reconnect has so far paid out more than £2.5million to private homeowners, allowing them to go renewable. Through this £8million grant scheme we aim to have up to 4000 people across Northern Ireland reconnected to renewable energy by 2008."

The most popular technology installed to date through Reconnect, as also chosen by the McKennas, has been the wood-fuelled boiler. County Down has more renewable energy installations through the grant initiative than anywhere else in Northern Ireland, accounting for around 30 per cent of all grants.

Mrs McKenna explained why they chose to go renewable. She said: "We wanted to install a renewable energy system initially to reduce our energy bills. We were also very aware of the damage fossil fuels are doing to the environment, and so wanted to do something to help combat this threat. We looked into the options intensively and with the offer of the grants through Reconnect, we were happy to go ahead with the two installations.

"The application and approval process for the Reconnect grant were straightforward and the money certainly went a long way to pay for the systems.

"Since we moved in, and the solar hot water panels were installed, we have rarely had to switch on our immersion. This is very promising and we are hoping to see a saving on our energy bills shortly."

To find out more about renewable energy systems call the freephone helpline 0800 0234 077 or log onto www.reconnect.org.uk.

(JM)