Home Energy Grants

If you are planning to carry out upgrading work to your home, you could be eligible for one of the Home Energy Grants available from the SEAI (Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland). These grants can help make your home warmer, cheaper to run and cut your greenhouse gas emissions.

The SEAI offer the following range of grants, which relate to specific upgrades:

• Insulation Grant: Up to 35% of your home’s heat can be lost through your external walls and up to 30% can be lost through your roof. Installing insulation will reduce heat loss and your heating bills. Grants are available for cavity, internal, external wall and attic insulation. Your home must have been built and occupied before 2006 to be eligible.
• Heating Controls Grant: Heating controls can reduce your energy usage by up to 20% and save you money on your home heating bills. Your home must have been built and occupied before 2006 to be eligible.
• Heat Pump System Grant: Heat pumps are electrical devices which convert energy from the air outside of your home into useful heat. They are very economical to run in well-insulated houses and offer an extremely efficient alternative to oil, gas, solid fuel and electric home heating systems. Your home must have been built and occupied before 2011 to be eligible.
• Solar Water Heating Grant: Solar panels that produce hot water are known as solar thermal collectors or solar hot water collectors. Solar thermal systems are designed to meet 50-60% of your overall hot water requirement over the year, thereby saving you money on your annual hot water heating bills. Your home must have been built and occupied before 2011 to be eligible.
• Solar Electricity Grant: Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels turn daylight into electricity and provide you with energy to power your electrical appliances. Any excess electricity produced can be stored e.g. in a battery or a hot water immersion tank. It can also be exported from your house into the electrical network on your street. Your home must have been built and occupied before 2011 to be eligible.

Do more, receive more: If you complete three upgrades, your grant value will be increased by €300. If you complete four upgrades your grant value will be increased by €400.

The SEAI also offer the following grants:

• Deep Retrofit Grant: This grant is suitable if you are doing a major renovation of your home and want to significantly improve the energy rating. You must apply for this grant via a Service Provider.
• Free Energy Upgrades for Eligible Homes: This grant offers free energy efficiency improvements to the homes of people who are in receipt of certain welfare payments. Your home must have been built and occupied before 2006 to be eligible.

You can apply for a Home Energy Grant online or by post. Grant approval must be in place before works commence. Further information can be found on the SEAI website or click here to download the SEAI Consumer Grants leaflet.