Background information

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) was established as Ireland's national sustainable energy authority. It is a state organisation and it works with households, businesses, communities and government to create a cleaner energy future.

The SEAI provides a range of grants to homeowners and landlords to help them upgrade their property’s energy efficiency.

Content of measure

Grants are available for homeowners and private landlords who want to upgrade their properties energy. Grants of different values (up to a maximum of €8,000 for external dry wall insulation for a detached house) are available for insulation, heat pump systems, heating controls, solar hot water and solar PV. To be eligible for the insulation and heating controls grants, the home must be built and occupied before 2011. To be eligible for the for the heat pumps and renewable systems grants, the home must be built and occupied before 2021. In circumstances where the homeowner is in receipt of certain social welfare payments, fully funded energy upgrades are available.

Use of measure

SEAI figures show that in 2023, 47,900 home energy upgrades were supported by the grants. This was an increase of 76% on the number of upgrades in 2022, when 27,200 properties were upgraded with the assistance of the grants.

The figures also show:

• Capital expenditure of €319.6 million (up 70% year on year)
• Over 17,600 BER B2 upgrades completed (up 108% year on year)
• Over 67,400 applications processed (up 35% year on year)
• Almost 5,900 fully funded energy upgrades for low-income households (up 33% year on year)
• 664 Approved Housing Body upgrades supported under the One-Stop-Shop Service
• 44 fuel-poor homes supported under the Community Energy Grants Scheme

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Does not apply to businesses	Applies to all citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Other social actors (e.g. NGOs)	National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement	No involvement
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

No involvement

Views and reactions

N/A

Sectors and occupations

This case is not occupation-specific.

Sources

• 01 March 2024: Home Energy Grants (www.seai.ie)
• 01 March 2024: Government supported 47,900 home energy upgrades through SEAI in 2023 (www.seai.ie)