Applications for solar panel grants more than double as energy bills surge 

Grants for home insulation have also peaked, with applications having more than tripled since last year

The rise in applications can be attributed to homeowners seeking ways to reduce energy bills. Picture: iStock

Grant applications for solar panels have more than doubled in the past year, as homeowners look into ways to save money on energy bills.

Figures from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) show that the government agency had received more than 10,500 applications for the installation of solar panels in the first eight months of this year, more than double the 4,072 applications it received for all of 2021.

The jump in grant applications comes as energy bills soar due to price hikes from electricity and gas providers, and Putin’s war in Ukraine. Last week, a swathe of energy providers, including Bord Gáis, SSE Airtricity, Electric Ireland, and Prepay Power, all hiked prices for consumers by more than 30%.

Providing figures to the  Irish Examiner, the SEAI said it has received more than 30,000 grant applications so far this year, from homeowners seeking grants for energy upgrades. They said applications for attic and cavity wall insulation have tripled from last year.

Tom Halpin, communications officer at SEAI, said although there was a degree of pent-up demand in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the rise in applications was likely to have been driven by increased levels of grants available to households, and concerns regarding the energy crisis. 

The energy price challenges that people are encountering at the moment are difficult for homes.

The role of climate change and sustainability also has a part to play in encouraging households to make their homes more energy efficient. “People are becoming more environmentally aware,” he said.

Russia's decision to stop pumping gas via a major supply route, sent another economic shock wave through Europe today, as it struggles to recover from the pandemic.

The European Union is weighing new gas benchmarks and price caps as Moscow’s tightening supply squeeze forces the 27-nation bloc to assess drastic measures to curb spiking energy costs.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said last week that she was convinced there should be a price cap on Russian gas.