grants · 6 min read
SEAI grants explained, without the sales pitch
Which home energy grants actually exist, what they pay, and the approval-first rule that catches people out.
The grant landscape is genuinely useful, but it is also widely misrepresented. Here is the honest version.
Approval comes first, always
Every SEAI and council grant is approval-first. If the work is carried out before written approval issues, the application is refused. There is no retrospective route. This single rule causes more lost grant money than any eligibility criterion.
What is covered
Attic, cavity, internal and external wall insulation. Windows and external doors. Heating controls. Solar PV and solar thermal. Heat pumps, with a technical assessment beforehand. Plus fully funded upgrades under Warmer Homes for qualifying households, and three means-tested council grants for older people and people with a disability.
What is not covered
Replacing a gas or oil boiler with another fossil-fuel boiler. No scheme funds that, regardless of how a quote is worded.
Build year rules differ
Most individual grants require a home built and occupied before 2011. The heat pump system grant uses 2021. The council grants have no build-year rule at all — they are means-tested instead.
Next step
Use our grant checker to see which schemes fit your property, then confirm figures on the official SEAI or council page before you commit to any work.
Want it looked at properly?
RGI registered, fixed written quotes, and a straight answer on what is and is not grant-funded.