Whether you’ve landed your dream home or are setting about transforming a fixer-upper, the benefits of home improvement extend well beyond a fresh coat of paint.
More and more people in Ireland are taking steps to make their home more energy-efficient. Naturally, at Activ8 Energies, we’re big believers in the benefits of solar panels and the power they provide, so we make it our mission to help on this journey.
With that in mind, let’s look at the specific home improvement grants available.
Unsure where to start? At Activ8, we have a quick and easy questionnaire you may wish to fill out to get a better feel for your own situation.
In terms of the different types of grants available to homeowners in Ireland, the Sustainability Authority of Ireland (SEAI) is the country’s national sustainable energy body, working at every level of Irish society to encourage the use of clean energy and efficiency.
It is also the primary outlet offering the kind of energy-focused grants that could help with your house renovation plans. The SEAI offers homeowner-focused grants under three different schemes; Better Energy Homes, Warmer Homes, and National Home Energy Upgrade.
As the name suggests, the Better Energy Homes grant is designed to boost your home towards a more energy-efficient and overall beneficial lifestyle.
There’s a healthy range of specific grants on offer to help you spruce up your home while harnessing clean renewable energy in the process.
We’ll look at each one individually in detail in a moment, but in terms of the broad overview, you can apply for grants related to home insulation, heating controls and heating systems, and solar heating and solar power modifications.
To qualify for this scheme, you need to meet one of the following criteria:
The home in question must have a Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN) and must be built and occupied before 2011 for insulation and heating controls, or 2021 for heat pumps and renewable systems.
It’s worth reading through the comprehensive SEAI Homeowner Application Guide before proceeding with the grant you have in mind.
The median costs of individual energy upgrades, as collated by the SEAI, may be viewed here.
There are two ways in which you can apply for the Better Energy Homes scheme.
The first option is a manual application where you select an SEAI-registered contractor and apply for the grant using the SEAI online system.
If successful, the grant will be paid directly to the applicant or contractor, under the condition that the relevant works have been fully carried out, and the necessary forms - Request for Payment and Declaration of Works - have been submitted.
If this option suits you best, you can jump into the step-by-step guide here.
Alternatively, you could go with a ‘One Stop Shop’ that takes all the admin off your hands, managing the entire project on your behalf. You can check out the list of SEAI partners which includes Activ8 Energies here.
Let’s explore those specific different grants in front of you, starting with insulation.
You’ve two options here - attic insulation and wall insulation. Each individual grant offers a fixed value, breaking down as follows:
According to the SEAI, attic insulation is often the most cost-effective upgrade made to a house.
*To note, the roof insulation grant is only available for top-floor apartments or an apartment where the roof is a genuine heat-loss element. An apartment with other separate apartments located directly above is not eligible.
The process of injecting cavity walls with insulation from the outside.
This is where insulation boards are fixed to the inside of external walls.
In which insulation materials are fixed to the outer surface of external walls.
To note, SEAI grant funding can only be issued once per property for each type of works, so choose wisely. Any property that has previously availed of wall insulation via the Better Energy Homes scheme - or any other government scheme - cannot receive additional support for further wall insulation modification.
Looking to stay warm and make a positive impact on the environment - and your bank balance - in the process?
Upgrading to a renewable energy heating system is the way to go. There are two key grants available to help you achieve this:
An overall guide on exactly how heat pumps work is available here.
Your home must be well-insulated in order to get the maximum benefits that a heat pump can offer. It should also be noted that the SEAI grant only refers to first-time installations, and does not cover replacement on a pre-existing pump.
You’ll need to establish where your home stands on both of those factors before proceeding with an application, and so a technical assessment may be required.
The technical assessment is necessary if you do not have a valid Building Energy Rating (BER) assessment or if your BER assessment reveals that your home has high heat loss - greater than 2.3 on a heat loss indicator.
You do not require a technical assessment if your valid BER assessment places your heat loss indicator at 2.3 or below.
In the event of moving ahead with the assessment, the SEAI offers a €200 grant (payable only alongside the overall heat pump grant). To qualify for this, you must use an SEAI-registered technical advisor, and complete the heat pump installation and any additional fabric/insulation upgrades required.
If you meet all outlined criteria, you can complete and upload a Self-Declaration Form.
As for the different types of heat pump system grants available and how much they’re worth, you can find the breakdown below:
This is the most common heat pump system, extracting heat from external air through an outside unit.
Similar to the above, though this system includes mechanical extract ventilation and heat recovery from your property.
This heat pump system involves the use of the earth as a source of renewable heat.
This system uses open water - lakes, rivers, streams - as a heat source.
This distributes heat through air units - it does not provide hot water, however.
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As for the best method of controlling your heat pump system?
A smarter and more cost-effective way to heat your home, heating controls afford you the chance to get the balance just right, matching your heating and hot water schedules to how you go about your day.
The SEAI Heating Controls Grant is valued at €700 and may be applied for by all homeowners, including private landlords, whose homes were built and occupied before 2011 - this is defined as the date when your electricity meter was installed.
You will not be eligible for this grant if you are applying for, or have previously claimed, a Heat Pump System grant. This is because such a system must incorporate heating controls as part of the grant works.
Shifting gears now to solar panels and the benefits they provide - at Activ8 Solar Energies, we’ve successfully installed over 22,500 solar panels across Ireland since 2007.
The SEAI, meanwhile, has identified an incredible 335% increase in solar energy in Ireland in recent years.
Let’s drill down into the available grants, and the overall benefits of installing solar panels on your property.
The SEAI’s solar electricity grant helps you install solar photovoltaic (PV) panels in your home. You are eligible to apply for this grant, providing:
The solar PV grant offers €700 per kilowatt peak (kWp) up to 2kW:
To qualify for the SEAI solar electricity grant, you must ensure that you have created an application and received official grant approval before proceeding with any works.
If you are successful in your application, the subsequent work must be carried out inside eight months - the grant will expire beyond this timeline.
We estimate that a move to our solar power panels will lock in your own electricity prices for over 25 years, and you can expect to save up to 75% on your bills.
Feel free to use our grant calculator to see how it all adds up for you.
What’s more, a commitment to solar energy will afford you more energy independence, increase the value of your property, reduce your carbon footprint, benefit the overall environment, and provide a warmer, more comfortable home.
Ready to submit the all-important paperwork for the grant you want? Let’s first make sure we have everything we need.
Before applying, the SEAI advises you to read through the relevant guides - such as the Better Energy Homes scheme application guide or the Solar PV Scheme application guide and terms and conditions, speak with a registered company - this includes Activ8 Solar Energies - and arrange a Building Energy Rating (BER) assessor.
Ensure you have the following before proceeding with your application:
As is the case with any application, patience is a virtue, so give it a little time while you wait to hear back.
If your application is successful, you will receive a grant approval email or postal letter from the SEAI. Your chosen solar PV company will also be informed and provided with the relevant grant documents related to your installation.
Remember, you cannot proceed with any works until approval has been granted.
We’ve covered many of the ‘do’s’ when it comes to grant application, and now we’re going to list some of the things you should absolutely not do as part of the process:
Don’t miss it! Overdue applications are unlikely to be treated with sympathy.
As covered in the previous section, being as thorough as possible is of paramount importance - details, details, details!
Don’t submit anything vague or indecipherable - it’s vital that those reviewing your application understand precisely what you intend to implement, and the specifics of the related environment. Present clean and clear information throughout.
Oh, and it might sound like it goes without saying but - be sure the grant you’re applying for is 100% the grant you want to apply for.
A very important one - plan accordingly in terms of your budget and don’t submit unclear or over-inflated prices that could result in either an unnecessary back and forth conversation or outright rejection. Secure precise quotes ahead of time.
You’re excited to upgrade and improve and that’s a great feeling, but don’t jump the gun and begin any installation work until your grant is approved. For a start, there’s always the chance that it might not get the green light, and even if it does, grant funding rarely applies to retroactive costs you may have already incurred. Be patient.
That said, there is such a thing as being too stoic about the situation. Yes, you need to allow for time to pass following your application submission, but if you haven’t heard anything back after a couple of weeks, it’s no harm to contact the relevant department and request some clarity. Keeping track of your own paperwork here will be a big help.
Yes, you are eligible for a home improvement grant under the Better Energy Homes scheme, providing you meet one of the following criteria:
The home in question must have a Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN) and must be built and occupied before 2011 for insulation and heating controls, or 2021 for heat pumps and renewable systems.
This will vary depending on the kind of residence you occupy and the specific grant you are looking to avail of. The various denominations are outlined above, but if you need a shortcut, you can visit the SEAI website here.
According to the SEAI, the current time for grant payment approval is four to six weeks after all documentation has been correctly completed and submitted.
If your home is inspected and reworks are required, your contractor will need to make a return visit to carry out the works in question. This will likely impact the timeframe of expected payment.
Yes, though you cannot apply for the same specific grant twice.
By now, you should hopefully understand the different home improvement grants available in Ireland and can set about selecting what works best for you.
If you require any further assistance or just want to talk through it all with one of our friendly and dedicated experts at Activ8 Solar Energies, you can get a free consultation today - get in touch with us here.
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