SEAI Grants for Home Insulation: What Irish Homeowners Can Claim

If you are insulating an Irish home, it is worth checking what grant support you qualify for before you spend anything. The rules change from time to time, so treat this as an orientation and confirm the current figures on seai.ie.

What kind of work is supported

SEAI runs grant support for attic insulation, cavity wall insulation, internal dry lining and external wall insulation, along with heat pumps and windows under the fuller home energy upgrade schemes. External wall insulation attracts the largest amounts because it is the most expensive measure and delivers the biggest reduction in heat loss.

The conditions that catch people out

The house must be old enough. Grants target homes built and occupied before a cut-off year, on the basis that newer houses were already built to a reasonable standard.

The work must be done by a registered contractor. This is the big one. You cannot buy materials, fit them yourself and claim afterwards. If a grant matters to you, engage a contractor from the SEAI register first.

You need a BER assessment afterwards. The upgrade has to be evidenced, and the assessment is part of the process.

Apply before you start. Work carried out before approval is generally not eligible.

Where the materials side still matters

Even on a grant-supported job the contractor has to buy the system, and a competitively priced EPS system keeps the whole project cost down. If you are working with a contractor who is happy to fit a supplied system, or you are doing an unsupported job such as a garage conversion or a rear extension, sourcing the boards, adhesive, mesh and render yourself makes a real difference to the bill.

Doing it without a grant

Plenty of jobs go ahead without grant support, especially partial work such as a single gable, a cold bedroom over a garage, or a wall that is suffering from damp. External insulation on one elevation is a manageable weekend-scale project for a competent builder, and the payback shows up in the first winter.

Need a hand with your job?

Send us your measurements and we will put together a materials list with prices. Call 085 868 8459, message us on WhatsApp or email sales@all4building.ie. We deliver across Ireland from our Cork warehouse.