‘It’s a great time to start’ – What homeowners need to know about SEAI’s home energy grants
There is a simple step-by-step process to making your home more comfortable and more energy efficient.
Rory Cashin
4 Oct 2026 6:00 AM
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Many homeowners assume that improving their home’s energy efficiency means undertaking a complete and disruptive renovation. However, most home energy upgrades are done step by step, starting with attic and wall insulation, moving to renewable technologies such as heat pumps and solar PV. With generous Government grants available through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) there could be a big home energy grant to help you with the cost.
To help get to the bottom of some of these misconceptions surrounding home energy upgrades, we spoke with Stephen Farrell, Programme Manager with SEAI’s National Retrofit team. He told us that: “It’s a great time of year for people to start thinking about making their homes warmer and more energy efficient. We’re coming into winter, people are turning their heating back on, and there are often misconceptions out there about home energy upgrades.
“We’re hoping to upgrade tens of thousands of homes this year, and most of them will be relatively simple upgrades. So, we have a range of upgrades and grants to suit different budgets and homeowners’ priorities.”
“There is very minimal disruption in the house and the benefits are substantial.”
For many homeowners, that could mean starting with straightforward measures such as attic or wall insulation. SEAI grants are available for these upgrades in homes build before 2011, while grants for heat pumps and solar PV are available for homes built before 2021.
Insulation helps to keep valuable heat inside your home, meaning your heating system doesn’t have to work as hard. A heat pump can take this a step further by providing more energy efficient, renewable heating and reducing your reliance on fossil fuels.
Solar PV systems have also proven to be incredibly popular across Ireland recently, with over 30,000 applications for solar PV in 2025, and Stephen telling us this might rise to 50,000 applications this year. Solar PV panels generate renewable electricity for use in your home, helping to reduce electricity costs and carbon emissions.
Saving energy saves money, and the savings from a home energy upgrade can be substantial. Of course, every home is different. Factors such as its size, the number of people living there and how they use their heating will affect how much energy they use, and how much they could save. “All things being equal,” Stephen says, “if a detached home gets a complete energy upgrade with good levels of insulation, and a renewable heating system that’s properly installed and commissioned, you could be looking at savings of €750 to €1,200 per year. So it’s fairly substantial.”
Different options to suit different homes
SEAI offers three home energy upgrade routes, depending on the upgrades you are considering, your circumstances and budget.
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Individual Energy Upgrade Grants – The majority of people take this route. It’s a step-by-step process, and it gives you the flexibility to upgrade your home over time in a way that suits your budget and circumstances.
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One-Stop-Shop service – If you want to do it in one go, an SEAI registered One stop Shop can manage the entire process from the initial home energy assessment through to the grant application, contractors and final BER. The grant amount is deducted upfront from the cost of works.
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Warmer Homes Scheme – This fully funded route is for homeowners who are in receipt of certain welfare payments.
Applying for an individual energy upgrade is really straightforward. Once you have chosen an SEAI registered contractor, and you have your electricity meter number, you can apply through SEAI’s online application system and get instant approval.
For a complete home energy upgrade, homeowners choose from a list of registered One-Stop Shops around the country. Their team will apply for you (“They’ll hold your hand throughout the whole thing,” Stephen tells us).
Important first steps
Before we go, we ask Stephen: for anyone who is taking this first step towards a home energy upgrade and looking into the grants that can support them, what is the biggest piece of advice he can give them?
“If you are considering individual energy upgrades but don’t know where to start, a BER assessment is a useful first step. However, if you are considering multiple upgrades in one go, the One Stop Shop will arrange a more detailed home energy assessment and guide you from there.”
“Next, we’ve got over one thousand registered contractors on the system. Say you’re getting attic insulation put in, for example? We encourage you to call three of those registered contractors who install attic insulation, get them out to your house, and get three quotes. Once you’re happy with one of them, then just go to the SEAI website. There’s a simple online application form; fill that in with the contractor’s ID and press enter, and they have an instant approval to commence work.”
This all means that you can approach your home energy upgrade in stages, with potentially the attic insulation in year one, the walls insulated in year two, and a €12,500 grant towards a heat pump in year three, and so on.
“So, it’s as straightforward as that, and the key thing is homeowners can take a step-by-step approach.”
From simple first steps like attic and wall insulation to becoming fossil fuel-free with a heat pump, SEAI can help you get there - every step of the way. Start your home energy upgrade journey today and search “SEAI Home Energy Upgrades”.
