Warmer homes scheme: Applicants wait up to 22 months for retrofits to be completed

The warmer homes scheme provides free energy upgrades for households entitled to some social welfare payments such as the fuel allowance or domiciliary care allowance. Stock picture

Applicants are having to wait as long as 22 months for retrofits to be completed under the Government’s warmer homes scheme, it has emerged.

There are concerns the wait period could become even worse due to a potential increase in the level of applications for the scheme as more people qualify for key social welfare payments which underpin the retrofitting programme.

The warmer homes scheme provides free energy upgrades for households which are entitled to certain social welfare payments, such as the fuel allowance or domiciliary care allowance.

Figures provided to Tipperary South Fine Gael TD Michael Murphy show the average waiting times for the scheme in 2025, from application to works being carried out, is now at 21 months for the worse-rated houses and 22 for better-rated homes.

This compared to an 18 month average waiting time for the worse-rated houses in 2024. Waiting times are down on 2022, when they were at 26 months.

Correspondence from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) to Mr Murphy said it is taking approximately 14 months for an applicant to get their home surveyed. It said it then takes another 10 to 12 months before works are carried out and completed.

Climate minister Darragh O’Brien said delivering the free energy upgrades to low-income households and reducing the waiting list is a “key priority” for his Department and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).

“Increased awareness of the multiple benefits of retrofit and improvements to the warmer homes scheme is driving increased levels of demand for the scheme with almost 45,000 applications received over the period from January 2022 to end September 2025,” Mr O’Brien said.

The increase in depth of retrofit to an average value of €29,000 per home is also reflected in the waiting times as more significant works take a longer time per home to complete. 

Under the plan, homes which have a BER rating of E, F, or G are prioritised for works.

Mr Murphy raised concerns that the waiting times could increase further in the months ahead, as more people are due to become eligible for the scheme due to an expansion in qualifying payments.

The expansion of the fuel allowance to households in receipt of the working family payment will increase the number of eligible homes for the scheme.

As of June, there are approximately 48,500 families in receipt of the working family payment who will become eligible for the warmer homes scheme.

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Mr Murphy also called for prioritisation to take into account whether an applicant is elderly or vulnerable, saying that older people should not be waiting to get their home retrofitted.

He added that the SEAI should work on an action plan to cut the waiting lists, comparing it to how the Road Safety Authority used a plan to cut driving test wait lists.