ieExplains: How to retrofit your home and what grants are available
Between 2019 and May 2026, over 274,000 homes have received energy upgrades supported by Government funding, including 37,500 fully funded upgrades for households on social welfare. File picture
A large part of the Government’s climate action plan involves retrofitting homes to make them more energy efficient.
Between 2019 and May 2026, over 274,000 homes have received energy upgrades supported by Government funding, including 37,500 fully funded upgrades for households on social welfare.
Since 2015, the SEAI has supported more than 566,000 upgrade measures in 358,000 homes.
In the first six months of 2026, the SEAI received 29,876 applications for the Better Energy Homes scheme, which provides grants for individual measures. This compares to just 8,493 applications in the first six months of 2025.
But how do you retrofit your home, and what grants are available through the SEAI?
A new grant for the installation of more energy-efficient windows and doors was unveiled in March 2026.
This includes an €800 grant for doors, for a maximum of two doors. The grants for windows depend on the type of property.
€1,500 is available for apartments, €1,800 for a mid-terrace house, €3,000 for a semi detached or end-of-terrace house, and €4,000 for a detached house.
The home must have been built and occupied before 2011 to qualify and must have “good” attic and wall insulation.
There are several attic insulation grants available, with higher grants for first-time buyers (FTBs).
FTBs can receive up to €2,500 for a detached home, while other homeowners can avail of up to €2,000.
Grants for semi-detached homes and end-of-terrace homes are €1,900 for FTBs and €1,500 for owner-occupiers, while mid-terrace grants are €1,800 and €1,400, respectively.
Some 70,372 people have received grants for attic insulation since 2015.
Grants for wall insulation range between €700 and €1,800 for cavity wall insulation, depending on the type of property.
Internal insulation, or dry lining, grants range between €1,500 for apartments and €4,500 for detached homes. The grant for semi-detached homes is €3,500, and €2,000 for a mid-terrace.
Grants for external wall insulation, meanwhile, range between €3,000 for an apartment and €8,000 for a detached house.
People who have availed of one wall insulation grant can also apply for the “supplementary wall insulation measure” grant.
It means that those who have received a grant for cavity wall insulation can apply for internal wall insulation or external wall insulation.
People who have gotten a grant for internal wall insulation can only apply for external wall insulation grants.
However, people who have received an external wall insulation payment can not apply for a second wall grant.
The SEAI has provided grants for 77,682 wall insulations.
The “One Stop Shop” refers to a complete energy upgrade provided by a service provider.
Homes undergo an energy assessment, with a detailed report compiled on how the building can be brought up to BER B2 or above.
The grants are applied for by the provider, and these are deducted from the overall cost of the upgrades.
People can then apply for loans through the One Stop Shops’ finance partners, or through the Government-backed Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme.
The loan scheme allows householders to borrow between €5,000 and €75,000 over a term of up to 10 years. They are available through banks and some credit unions but offer lower interest rates.
Those seeking a loan must also obtain an eligible SEAI grant for the planned energy upgrade works. The cost of the upgrades after grants must also be at least 75% of the total loan amount.
Some 7,763 homes have been upgraded through One Stop Shops.
This scheme provides free home energy upgrades to homeowners who get certain social welfare payments.
This includes the Fuel Allowance, Jobseekers Allowance when a recipient has a child under seven, the Working Family Payment, One-Parent Family Payment, Domiciliary Care Allowance, Carers Allowance, and Disability Allowance when the recipient has a child under seven years of age.
The house must also have been built and occupied before 2006.
The scheme covers attic insulation, wall insulation, draught-proofing, lagging jacket, energy-efficient lighting, and energy advice.
It can also cover central heating systems, but they must be renewable, such as a heat pump.
Windows are only replaced if they are single-glazed windows, and the walls are being insulated at the same time.
The SEAI has advised that there are long waiting lists for retrofits under the Warmer Homes Scheme, with it taking up to 24 months between when the application is made and completion.
Some 65,293 homes have been upgraded under the Warmer Homes Scheme.
Homeowners on certain social welfare payments can also receive higher grants for insulation,
This includes grants of up to €2,300 for wall insulation and up to €2,500 for attic insulation.
However, they must pay for the work upfront and will then be refunded the grant amount.
People can apply for the higher grants without losing their place on the Warmer Homes Scheme Waiting list.
- Louise Burne, political correspondent
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