Home Q&A: If I move house, can I apply for another SEAI grant?

The same SEAI grant cannot be applied for twice for the same property. If, for example, a previous owner had the attic insulated using an SEAI grant, the standard individual SEAI grant is off the table. File pictures

Question

If I move house, can I apply for another SEAI grant?

Answer

The record for Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) grant aid is attached to the Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN) of the property, not to you. If you move house, you can apply for the same SEAI grants you did in the past, as long as the property is eligible.

The same SEAI grant cannot be applied for twice for the same property.

If, for example, a previous owner had the attic insulated using an SEAI grant, the standard individual SEAI grant is off the table. 

You could get a grant to insulate the rafters, but only by utilising the one-stop-shop mechanism in a deep renovation, which allows for that work in a bundle of improvements. 

However, if your outside walls are already pumped with insulation, and that was done with an SEAI grant by you or a previous owner, you can still apply for one more individual wall improvement — dry-lining or external insulation (the “wrap”).

With the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant (VPRG), the record for the grant is attached to you. You can apply for this grant to refurbish a principal home and apply again to use the grant system to create one (long-term) rental property. 

After that, you cannot apply again. Your partner could apply under their name, keeping the application for and deeds of, for instance, a rental in their name only. 

The VPRG can be combined with the use of SEAI grants. Only one grant type can be applied to one type of work on a vacant or derelict property. 

If you apply to the SEAI to replace the windows with energy-efficient units, they cannot be paid for or installed using a claim under the VPRG tranche of your budget. The trick is to separate out the works and assign them either to an SEAI grant (where appropriate) or the VPRG. 

A quantity surveyor can be a major help here. If you sell the property within ten years after completion (a principal home or rental), there is a clawback of all or a portion of the grant award. Under five years, this is 100% of the funds.

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