What SEAI Grants Are Available
The SEAI, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, runs a range of home energy grants that cut the cost of upgrading how your home is heated. Each grant covers a different upgrade and carries a different amount. The figures below are the headline grants a plumber or one-stop-shop deals with most often in 2026.
| Grant | Amount | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Heat pump | Up to €12,500 | An air-source or ground-source heat pump to replace an oil or gas boiler |
| Solar water heating | €1,200 | Roof-mounted solar thermal panels that heat your hot water |
| Heating controls | €700 | Upgraded timers, thermostats and zoning |
| One-stop-shop | Varies | A whole-home retrofit managed as a single project |
Separate grants also cover attic, wall and floor insulation, which come before the heating upgrade. The heat pump grant is the flagship, but the grants are designed to work together: insulate the home, then heat it efficiently. For the plumber's side of a heat pump job, see our heat pumps and plumbing guide.
Who Qualifies for a Grant
Eligibility depends on the home and the upgrade rather than on your income. The grants are open to homeowners carrying out a qualifying energy upgrade, provided a few conditions are met.
The home and the upgrade
Your home and the specific upgrade both have to qualify for the grant you want. A heat pump grant, for example, is confirmed by a technical assessment that checks the home is ready for one, which is why insulation usually comes first.
The BER assessment
A Building Energy Rating assessment shows where the home is losing heat and, where the grant requires it, ties the upgrades together. It is a normal part of the process rather than an obstacle.
The registered contractor
The single condition that decides whether the grant is paid is the contractor. The SEAI only pays out on work carried out by a contractor on its register, so the plumber or installer you choose has to be SEAI-registered for the upgrade you want.
How to Apply for an SEAI Grant
The order matters. Apply before the work starts, use a registered contractor, and keep the paperwork. Here is how a grant runs from start to payment.
- Check eligibility and BER. Confirm your home and the upgrade qualify, and arrange a BER assessment where the grant requires one.
- Choose a registered contractor. Pick an installer or plumber from the SEAI register, because the grant is only paid on registered work.
- Apply before works begin. Submit your application to the SEAI before any work starts, as starting early can mean the grant is refused.
- Get the works done. The registered contractor carries out the upgrade to the SEAI standard.
- Submit for payment. Once the work is complete, send the SEAI the contractor documentation and any post-works BER required.
- Receive the grant. The SEAI pays the grant to you after the works are verified, so keep all the paperwork.
The One-Stop-Shop Option
For a deeper retrofit that combines several upgrades, an SEAI-registered one-stop-shop manages the whole thing as a single project. It suits a home that needs insulation, a heat pump and controls together rather than a single measure.
The one-stop-shop surveys the home, recommends the works, arranges the contractors, and handles the grant application and paperwork on your behalf. That is the trade-off: less admin and one point of contact, in return for handing the coordination to one company. For a single measure, such as heating controls or solar water heating, a registered plumber applying directly is usually simpler.
Why You Insulate First
The single biggest mistake homeowners make is fitting a heat pump into a leaky home. A heat pump runs low and steady, so if the house loses heat through the attic, walls and old windows, the system works harder, costs more to run and never feels warm enough.
That is why the insulation grants sit alongside the heating grants, and why the heat pump grant expects a home that can hold its heat. A registered contractor, or a one-stop-shop, will assess the fabric of the home first, recommend the insulation that pays back fastest, and only then size the heat pump to the improved home. Done in that order the running costs make sense.
The order that works
- Attic and wall insulation come before the heat pump
- A BER assessment shows where the heat is being lost
- The heat pump is sized to the improved, insulated home
Choosing an SEAI-Registered Contractor
Registration is the line that decides whether your grant is paid. Beyond that, a good contractor is specific in the quote and easy to check.
Verify registration first
Confirm the contractor is on the SEAI register for the upgrade you want before you commit. The grant is not paid otherwise, so this comes ahead of everything else.
Get three written quotes
Each quote should show the full fitted price, the upgrade specified in detail, and the grant deducted clearly so you can see your real net cost. The grant is a contribution towards the fitted price, not the full cost.
Keep the documentation
Hold on to the grant approval, the contractor paperwork and any BER certificate. You need them for payment and again when you come to sell the home. To find registered plumbers near you, see our SEAI grant plumbers page.
Key takeaways
- The heat pump grant is worth up to €12,500, the largest single home energy grant.
- Solar water heating is worth €1,200 and heating controls €700.
- The work must be done by an SEAI-registered contractor or the grant is not paid.
- You apply to the SEAI before the work starts, and the grant is paid after it is verified.
- Insulate first so the home holds its heat, then upgrade the heating.
