The Irish Government, through SEAI, wishes to encourage people to improve the energy performance of their homes by incentivising the cost of installing various upgrade measures. The Better Energy scheme provides assistance to homeowners to reduce energy use, costs and greenhouse gas emissions and improve the comfort levels within their home.
The objectives of the scheme are to:
- Support homeowners in making intelligent choices to improve the energy performance of their home
- Reduce energy use, costs and greenhouse gas emissions
- Build market capacity and competence by driving contractor standards and quality
- Stimulating market innovation
To learn more about the SEAI home energy grants click here
Click here to learn how to apply
Heat Pump Grant
Solar Energy Grant
Solar Water Heating Grant
Heating Controls Grant
Insulation Grants
Homeowner Application Guide PDF
How to Apply for a Grant:
Step 1: Decide what energy upgrades best suit your home
Once you have reviewed the range of grants the SEAI have on offer, you may wish to talk to a good building contractor, architect, BER Assessor or energy advisor. They will be able to advise on the energy upgrades best suited to your home.
Grants for Insulation and Heating Controls are available to all owners of homes built and occupied before 2006. This is defined by the date your electricity meter was installed. Homes built from 2006 onwards should have been constructed to the 2003 Building Regulations and should not need significant insulation upgrades. Grants for Heat Pump Systems and Solar Water Heating are available to all owners of homes built and occupied before 2011.
Step 2: Choose a registered Technical Advisor- This step is only required if you are applying for a grant for a Heat Pump System.
Your Technical Advisor must:
Be an SEAI Registered Technical Advisor
Be registered for the type of work that they are carrying out
Put a contract in place with you before commencing an assessment – it is required that Technical Advisors have a written agreement with homeowners for undertaking a technical assessment under the grants scheme
Step 3: Choose a registered contractor
Your contractor must:
Be an SEAI Registered contractor
Be registered for the type of work that they are carrying out
Put a contract for works in place with you before work begins – it is required that contractors have a written contract with homeowners for all energy upgrades undertaken under the grants programme
Step 4: Apply for the grant
https://www.seai.ie/publications/Homeowner-Application-Guide.pdf
Fill out the online application. You need the MPRN number from your electricity bill and the name of your contractor from the SEAI register. You will be approved within minutes.
If you wish to apply by post, call 01 808 2100 to have a form posted to you or download a copy of the application form. Post your completed application form to:
Better Energy Homes Scheme
Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland
P.O. Box 119
Cahirciveen
Co. Kerry
Accept your grant offer.
If you applied online you should receive your grant offer immediately. If you applied by post you should receive your grant offer within 5 working days. You then have 30 days to accept the offer. After this period you will have to re-apply.
Step 5: Get the works done
You have eight months from the date of the grant offer to complete the works on your home and return the paperwork. You can find the expiry date in your offer letter. Within this time you will need to:
Have your selected works completed by an SEAI registered contractor
Pay the contractor in full or have a financing agreement in place with them
Get a registered BER Assessor to complete your post-works BER assessment and publish your cert
Step 6: Get paid
SEAI is now accepting electronic copies of completed grant paper work and requests for payment for the Better Energy Homes scheme. Completed grant documents and request for payment forms should be sent by email to info@betterenergyhomes.ie
Please note the following:
The SEAI cannot give extensions to grant offer periods. Grant applications for works done before or after the grant offer period are not eligible for payment.
Late forms are not eligible for payment and will result in grants being cancelled.
Incomplete or missing forms will result in your grant claim being rejected and all forms being returned to you. This may result in a delay and/or cancellation of your grant claim.
You are required to keep invoices and receipts for all completed works. You may be required to present them if the SEAI select your contractor for inspection.
Your contractor may be selected for inspection. This is to maintain a good standard of workmanship.
No time to apply you can let an Energy Partners apply on your behalf: https://www.seai.ie/grants/home-energy-grants/how-to-apply/energy-partners/
To find a BER Assessor: https://ndber.seai.ie/PASS/Assessors/Search.aspx
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