Heat pumps can be an expensive option for your home when you’re replacing a boiler. This is especially true if you’ve already spent a lot of money upgrading your home’s insulation.
Fortunately, the SEAI offers substantial grant funding to help homeowners with that cost. Below, we discuss what the grant funding covers, and who is eligible for it.
Heat Pump Grants Available in Ireland
There are multiple sources of grant funding to help homes and businesses in Ireland switch to renewable heating systems. The SEAI is the main body for residential heat pump grants, and also has an energy upgrade grant scheme for businesses.
Beyond the main grants offered by the SEAI, there are other sources of grant funding and financial support available for businesses and other organisations to install heat pumps.
How much grant funding can you get?
The maximum SEAI heat pump grant for homeowners is €12,500. How much you will receive depends on the following factors:
Property Type: If you are applying for the grant for an apartment or a house.
Central Heating Upgrades: Any upgrades needed for your central heating system to work with a heat pump.
Renewable Heat Bonus: Whether you are switching to a heat pump from an oil or gas boiler, or a different type of electrical heating system.
Approved Housing Body: AHBs are eligible for a higher grant level than private applicants.
The Central Heating Grant of up to €2,000 is not available for Air-to-Air heat pumps. This is because they do not work with a central heating system.
Anyone replacing an existing heat pump can receive the main grant, as long as it wasn’t grant-funded. However, they cannot receive the Renewable Heat Bonus.
The value of the grant may also not exceed the installation cost. If that comes in under the maximum grant value, you will receive a grant equal to that cost.
Who qualifies for the SEAI heat pump grant?
The residential heat pump grant from the SEAI has a number of eligibility criteria based on your property, its energy performance, and who is applying.
Heat pumps are the only home energy upgrade grant that includes a required energy performance. This is because heat pumps require a low level of heat loss in your home to be effective.
Property Requirements
- The property must have been built and occupied before 2021.
- The property must have an MPRN.
- The applicant must be the owner of the property
Homeowner Eligibility
- The grant is open to owner-occupiers, landlords, owner management companies, charities, approved housing bodies, and holiday homes.
- The applicant must not have previously received grant funding for a heat pump at this property.
Home Energy Performance Requirements
- The property must have a Heat Loss Indicator of ≤ 2.3W/Km².
- If the Property was built before 2007, a Technical Assessment is required if you do not have a valid BER showing this.
- If the property was built from 2007 onwards, it is assumed it meets the heat loss requirements.
The Warmer Homes Scheme (fully-funded energy upgrades) will also sometimes recommend renewable heating systems such as heat pumps. This scheme has its own eligibility criteria separate from other SEAI schemes.
See if you qualify for Fully-Funded Energy Upgrades.
Applying for the Heat Pump Grant
There are multiple things you need to have prepared before applying to the SEAI.
Home Energy Assessment: You may need a technical assessment to see if your home meets the heat loss requirements.
Self-Declaration Form: For homes built after 2007 or with a BER showing a sufficient HLI, you must fill out this form to say a technical assessment is not needed.
Get Quotes From Contractors: Shop around to get quotes from multiple heat pump installers. Make sure that they are registered with the SEAI to do this kind of work.
Gather Relevant Details: Ensure that you have all the required information about yourself, your property, and the heat pump being installed.
Make Grant Application: Apply for your heat pump grant either through the SEAI’s online portal or by post.
Await Grant Approval: Once you have applied, grant approval should come almost immediately for online applications, or within five days for postal applications.
Have Heat Pump Installed: After receiving your grant approval, you can have your heat pump installed and any other upgrade works required.
Post-Works BER: Once the heat pump is installed, you must get a fresh BER assessment of the property. A €50 grant is available for this.
Submit Required Paperwork: Evidence of the installation, including the Declaration of Works Form and Request for Payment Form, must be submitted to the SEAI. A Tax Clearance Certificate is also required if you get more than €10,000 in grants in one year.
Await Grant Payment: Once this has been submitted, the SEAI should process grant payment in 4 – 6 weeks.
If you are applying for the heat pump grant by post, you can download the application form from the SEAI’s website. The application should then be sent to the office for the Better Energy Homes Scheme at the following address.
Better Energy Homes Scheme
Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland
P.O. Box 119
Cahirciveen
Co. Kerry
Cost of Heat Pumps After Grant Funding
The SEAI grant can cover between 38% – 42% of the median cost of a heat pump system in Ireland. This only includes the main heat pump grant towards the cost of the unit and its installation.
It does not include the costs of any upgrades needed for the central heating system at the same time.
Since February 3, 2026, the grant can cover far more of the cost of a heat pump. This is thanks to the €4k Renewable Heat Bonus for people replacing another heating system with a heat pump.
Finance Options to Cover the Cost of Heat Pumps
For the roughly €5,000 to €10,000 remaining costs, multiple financing options are available for homeowners.
The Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme allows homeowners to borrow €5,000 – €75,000 to pay for home improvements aimed at greater energy efficiency.
Interest rates for the Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme start at 2.99%, lower than other home loans.
Common Reasons for Grant Rejections
Work Done Too Early: Any work done before you received grant approval is not eligible for funding and may result in the grant being rejected.
Wrong Heat Pump Specifications: Your heat pump system must meet the requirements set out in the Better Energy Homes Scheme.
FAQs
Yes, getting a grant for solar panels, home insulation, or any other SEAI grant measure does not preclude you from getting the heat pump grant.
No. Only heat pumps installed by an SEAI-registered installer are eligible for grant funding. If you are a registered installer, you can apply for the grant, but you will only be eligible for the cost of materials, not labour.
