Grants

Home Energy Saving Scheme (HES)

This objective of this scheme is to improve the energy performance of the nations existing housing stock by encouraging owners to upgrade their homes (new housing stock is already subject to high standards introduced in the 2008 Building Regulations). This will save money, reduce our dependency on imported fossil fuels and reduce CO2 emissions. The scheme will also stimulate employment in the building sector. €50 million funding has been allocated to the HES scheme, and when this money has been spent the scheme will be reviewed. When you apply for an insulation grant, SEAI request that all of the attic or walls be upgraded at the same time wherever feasible. A BER is mandatory every time you claim grants, but the BER grant is only available once per property. The total grant amount for upgrade works in the first application must be at least €500.The €100 BER grant cannot be included in this figure. So if you wanted a grant for attic insulation, you would need to get some other work done as well at around the same time. It will be more cost effective to get all the work done together under one grant application.

Grants for the following amounts are available;

Roof or Attic Insulation	€250
Cavity Fill Wall Insulation	€400
Internal Wall Insulation	€2500
External Wall Insulation	€4000
Heating Controls Upgrade & New Boiler	€700
Heating Controls Upgrade only	€500
BER Assessment; After Works BER	€100

How to proceed

• Step 1. Either get a Before & After BER Assessment of your property with a Detailed Recommendation Report, OR get a free Home Energy Self Survey (available to download when applying online for the HES Scheme),

OR if you have already decided which measures are needed, go ahead to Step 2. 

• Step 2. Apply for your HES grant approval.
• Step 3. Select contractors in your area from the SEAI list of approved contractors. Preferably get 2 or 3 quotes.
• Step 4. When the upgrade work is complete, you must get the After Works BER assessment done. Enrate will offer a special discount rate of €75 for this BER if it is part of the Before & After BER package. Otherwise obtain the standard price by clicking on the Prices tab at the top of this page. Please note that the householder has to pay for the BER assessment(s) and the contract work before getting the grant. Before booking an After Works BER please ensure that the works contractor(s) have completed the PGE estimates section of the BER Confirmation and Request for Payment form and the Declaration of Works forms. These forms are passed to the BER assessor and must be completed before the grant can be claimed.
• Step 5. After we have signed the Confirmation and Request for Payment form and returned it to you, forward it to SEAI to claim your grant moneys.
• Step 6. Enjoy the increased comfort levels and lower fuel bills.

Additional Notes

The building must have been constructed pre 2006 to qualify. You cannot get grants for new build.
You must use a contractor from the approved list (no grants for DIY).
It is possible to apply for the grants and get work done before getting any BER assessment, but you will still need a BER after completion of the works.  

To apply for the HES scheme click here.

Greener Homes Scheme (GHS) Grants

These grants are for the installation of certain "renewable" heating technology systems into a home which has a pre existing older heating system. Grants are not for new build, but construction pre 2006 is not a requirement.

The aim is to reduce domestic fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, while encouraging the emergence of new green industries. It should be noted that a multi-fuel wood stove will not qualify; the stove must run on pellet or chip only. Despite this a multi-fuel stove is still a very efficient replacement for an open fire.

Wood chip/pellet stove	€1400
Wood chip/pellet stove with back boiler	€800
Wood chip/pellet boiler	€2500
Solar panels	€250-€300 per m2
Heat Pump	€2000-€3500
Wood Gasification Boiler	€2000

The product should be from the SEAI approved list and the installer must also be approved. To apply for this scheme click here.

Warmer Homes Scheme

The aim of this scheme is to combat fuel poverty in certain low income households. Attic insulation, hot water cylinder lagging jackets, CFL light bulbs and sometimes wall insulation will be installed free or at low cost for eligible persons. Various local organisations are in charge of implementing the scheme around the country; some are more active than others.

Click here for more info and to find your local organisation

Middleman Schemes

You may find other schemes clustered around the country which act as a middleman between the householder and the Government/ E.U. grants that are available. They usually pass on the full amount of the grant, but they will restrict you to using one particular product for each type of grant. The manufacturer of that product then pays for the administration of the scheme. These schemes may make claims that their product installers are better trained than others, or are subject to independent inspections.

Be aware that these are commercial businesses and are not to be confused with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) which, being a government agency is truly independent. If you are happy that their product is the right one for you, these schemes can reduce hassle by organising grant paperwork and sending installers out to visit you.