SEAI Home Energy Grants 2026: A Guide for Irish Homeowners

Updated: September 2026

Improving the energy efficiency of your home can make it warmer and more comfortable while reducing the amount of energy needed for heating.

For Irish homeowners planning renovation or retrofit work, SEAI grants can help towards the cost of insulation, windows and doors, heat pumps, heating controls, solar panels and other energy upgrades.

The grant amounts and eligibility requirements have changed over time, so it is important to check the current rules before ordering materials or beginning any work.

Important: You must have SEAI grant approval in place before starting grant-funded works. Grants generally cannot be claimed retrospectively.

SEAI home energy grants available in 2026

Here is a quick overview of the main individual home energy grants currently available.

SEAI currently allows homeowners to carry out one upgrade or several measures over time, making it possible to plan improvements around your budget rather than completing everything at once.

What types of SEAI home energy grants are available?

There are three main routes for homeowners.

Individual Energy Upgrade Grants

Individual grants allow homeowners to complete one or more upgrades and manage the project themselves using SEAI-registered contractors.

This route can suit homeowners who want to improve their property gradually.

SEAI specifically highlights the ability to carry out upgrades over time and apply for one measure or multiple measures.

One Stop Shop Home Energy Upgrades

A registered One Stop Shop can manage a more comprehensive home energy upgrade.

The provider can look after the assessment, grant application, contractors, project management and final BER. Eligible grants are deducted upfront from the cost of works.

Warmer Homes Scheme

The Warmer Homes Scheme provides fully funded upgrades for eligible homeowners receiving certain welfare payments.

SEAI assesses the property and decides which measures are suitable.

From 2026, qualifying homeowners may also be able to access enhanced individual grants for attic and cavity wall insulation while retaining their place on the Warmer Homes Scheme.

Attic insulation grants

Attic insulation is often one of the most cost-effective energy upgrades for an older home.

SEAI notes that a typical house can lose around 20–30% of its heat through the roof, which is why attic insulation is often a sensible place to start.

Current standard attic insulation grants are:

Higher grants are available to certain qualifying first-time buyers and homeowners receiving qualifying welfare payments.

These can reach €2,500 for a detached property.

For insulation grants, the property generally needs to have been built and occupied on or before 31 December 2010.

Wall insulation grants

The most suitable wall insulation depends on the construction of the property.

SEAI supports three principal types of wall insulation:

• cavity wall insulation
• internal wall insulation, also known as dry lining
• external wall insulation

Current standard grants are:

Higher cavity wall insulation grants are available to qualifying homeowners receiving certain welfare payments, with support of up to €2,300 for a detached house.

A useful change is that homeowners who previously received an SEAI grant for one type of wall insulation may now be able to apply for a second wall insulation measure.

For example, a house that previously received cavity wall insulation support may later qualify for internal or external wall insulation, subject to the current scheme rules.

SEAI grants for windows and doors

One of the biggest changes is that energy-efficient replacement windows and doors are now available through individual SEAI grants.

Windows grant amounts

External door grant

Homeowners can receive:

€800 per external door, for a maximum of two doors.

This means the maximum doors grant is €1,600.

The property must have been built and occupied before 2011, and the attic and walls must already meet SEAI's required insulation standard.

Qualifying replacement windows must achieve a U-value of 1.4 W/m²K or better, and a post-works BER is required. The property must also satisfy SEAI's heat-loss or insulation requirements after the work.

You do not necessarily have to replace every window in the property, although the grant can only be paid once per property and the post-works requirements must still be met.

If your walls or attic do not yet meet the required standard, it may therefore make sense to improve insulation before, or at the same time as, replacing windows and doors.

Heat pump grants

Heat pumps can provide an efficient renewable heating system, but the property needs to retain heat sufficiently well for the system to perform effectively.

SEAI's heat pump support is now made up of a bundle of grants.

For apartments, the available total can be lower depending on the dwelling and upgrade configuration.

The Renewable Heat Bonus is available where an existing oil or gas boiler, solid-fuel system or electric storage heating system is being replaced with a qualifying heat pump.

Not every project will qualify for every element of the bundle.

The home must have an MPRN and generally must have been built and occupied before 2021.

Technical Assessment for heat pumps

For some homes, particularly older properties, a Technical Assessment may be required before applying.

The assessment checks how quickly the property loses heat and whether it is suitable for a heat pump.

A €200 grant is available towards an eligible Technical Assessment.

Because heat pumps work best in well-insulated homes, it can make sense to improve the building fabric first.

Heating controls grant

SEAI currently provides a €700 heating controls grant for eligible properties.

Modern heating controls can help match heating and hot-water schedules to how the home is actually used, potentially reducing unnecessary energy consumption.

This grant is for upgrading an existing heating system and is different from the heat pump grant.

Solar PV grant

Solar photovoltaic panels generate electricity for use in the home.

The current Solar PV grant is:

For example, a qualifying 4 kWp installation can receive the maximum €1,800 grant.

You must create a Solar PV grant application and receive approval before proceeding with the work.

Once approved, SEAI currently gives applicants eight months to complete the installation and submit the required documentation.

Solar water heating grant

Solar thermal systems use energy from the sun to heat water rather than generate electricity.

SEAI currently provides a €1,200 solar water heating grant.

BER grant

A post-works Building Energy Rating may be required for grant-funded upgrades.

Where applicable, SEAI currently provides a €50 BER grant.

A BER gives the property an energy-efficiency rating and can also help identify where further improvements may be worthwhile.

Why take a step-by-step approach?

You do not necessarily need to carry out every energy upgrade at once.

A staged approach can allow you to improve the house in a logical order while spreading the cost over time.

For example, you might:

1. improve attic insulation
2. address wall insulation
3. replace inefficient windows and doors
4. improve heating controls
5. consider a heat pump
6. add solar PV or solar thermal

SEAI itself highlights the ability to carry out upgrades over time to suit your budget.

The exact order will depend on the property, but improving insulation and reducing heat loss before installing a new heating system is often sensible.

Individual grants or a One Stop Shop?

Individual grants may suit homeowners who want to carry out specific improvements gradually and manage contractors themselves.

A One Stop Shop may be more suitable where several measures are being completed together as part of a more comprehensive retrofit.

One Stop Shop schemes can also include measures that are not generally listed as standalone individual grants, including floor insulation, airtightness and mechanical ventilation, depending on the project.

How to apply for an SEAI individual energy grant

The exact process varies slightly between measures, but the general sequence is:

1. Check your eligibility

Check that both the property and the proposed upgrade meet the current SEAI requirements.

Different grants have different rules relating to the age of the property, previous grants and energy performance.

2. Gather the information you need

SEAI currently asks for information including:

• your property's MPRN
• dwelling type
• the grants you want to apply for
• the SEAI-registered contractor you have selected
• the year the property was built and occupied
• a Technical Assessment or Self-Declaration Form where required for a heat pump application.

3. Choose an SEAI-registered contractor

Grant-funded work generally needs to be completed by a contractor registered with SEAI for the relevant measure.

It is sensible to obtain quotations before making a final decision.

4. Apply for the grant

Submit your application and wait for SEAI to issue and approve your grant offer.

Do not begin the work before the grant has been approved and accepted.

5. Complete the works

Once the grant offer is in place, the approved contractor can carry out the upgrade.

6. Arrange the post-works BER where required

Certain measures, including windows and doors, require a post-works BER.

7. Submit the required documentation

The relevant Declaration of Works, Request for Payment and other documentation can then be submitted to SEAI.

Grant offers are currently valid for eight months.

SEAI advises applicants whose works are delayed beyond this period to submit the relevant documentation together with an explanation of the delay.

Planning an energy-efficient renovation

It is worth thinking about the house as a complete system rather than looking at each upgrade in isolation.

Installing an efficient heating system in a poorly insulated house, for example, may not deliver the expected results.

A renovation plan may consider:

• attic and roof insulation
• cavity, internal or external wall insulation
• windows and external doors
• ventilation
• airtightness
• heating controls
• the heating system
• solar PV
• solar thermal

Improving the building fabric first can reduce heat loss and may allow later heating upgrades to operate more efficiently.

For more complex projects, advice from a BER assessor, engineer, architect or other suitably qualified professional can help determine the most appropriate sequence of works.

Frequently asked questions about SEAI grants

Can I apply for more than one SEAI grant?

Yes. SEAI allows homeowners to apply for one upgrade or multiple measures, and upgrades can also be completed over time.

Can I get an SEAI grant for windows and doors?

Yes. Windows and external doors are now available through the individual grant scheme.

The windows grant is worth up to €4,000, depending on the property type, while external doors are supported at €800 per door for up to two doors.

Do I have to replace all my windows?

No. SEAI states that you do not have to replace every window to qualify, although the windows grant can only be paid once per property and the post-works energy requirements still have to be met.

Can I apply for a grant after the work has started?

Generally, no.

You must apply for the grant and accept the offer before beginning grant-funded works. Applications for works carried out outside the grant-offer period are not eligible for payment.

Is there still a boiler replacement grant?

There is not a standard standalone grant simply for replacing an old boiler with another fossil-fuel boiler.

However, homeowners replacing qualifying fossil-fuel or electric storage heating with a heat pump may be eligible for the €4,000 Renewable Heat Bonus as part of the heat pump support package.

Do I need a Technical Assessment for a heat pump?

Not every property will require the same process, but SEAI requires the home to have sufficiently low heat loss before a heat pump is installed.

A Technical Assessment may therefore be required, and a €200 grant is available towards an eligible assessment.

How long do I have to complete the work?

SEAI individual grant offers are currently valid for eight months.

Need help planning your project?

Once you know which energy upgrade is suitable for your home, the next step is working out the materials and quantities required for the project.

At MyBuildingSupplies.ie, we supply building and insulation products for renovation and energy-efficiency projects throughout Ireland.

If you are unsure which products you need, contact our team before ordering and we can help you identify suitable materials for your project.

For professional advice, quality energy-efficient products, and support with your home improvements, visit our store in Ballymote, Co. Sligo, email [email protected], or call 0818 888 000.

Remember that product advice does not replace the technical requirements of an SEAI grant.

Where grant funding is involved, always make sure the specification and installation meet the relevant SEAI requirements.

Always check the latest information directly with SEAI

SEAI grant values, eligibility criteria, technical standards and application procedures can change.

Before purchasing materials, appointing contractors or starting grant-funded works, always check the latest requirements directly with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland.

Official SEAI Home Energy Grants website:
https://www.seai.ie/grants/home-energy-grants

Disclaimer

The grant amounts, eligibility information and scheme details in this article were checked against information published by SEAI and were correct to the best of our knowledge when this article was updated in September 2026.

SEAI may change grant amounts, eligibility requirements, technical standards, application procedures or individual schemes at any time.

This article is intended as general information only and should not be treated as confirmation that a particular homeowner, property or project will qualify for funding.

Always check the latest SEAI terms and conditions and obtain the required grant approval before purchasing materials, entering into contracts or beginning grant-funded works.

For current information, visit:

https://www.seai.ie/grants/home-energy-grants