Astrid Madsen
Attic and cavity insulation grants almost triple while solar and heating control grants remain unchanged, as eligibility criteria widened to pre-2021 homes for renewables.
Grant amounts for insulation upgrades and for installing renewables have been increased in ROI, as announced by Taoiseach Micháel Martin on February 8, 2022.
The body responsible for administering the grants, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), has also changed the eligibility criteria for renewables.
Now, homes built before 2021 can avail of grants to install renewable systems. The previous cut-off point was 2011.
Renewables refer to heat pumps, solar thermal, and photovoltaics i.e. solar that generates electricity.
The grant for installing a battery has been axed.
Warmer Homes
There are three types of grants available in ROI through the SEAI.
The first is the Warmer Homes scheme, whereby the exchequer pays for the full cost of the whole house energy upgrade. Since 2000, over 143,000 free upgrades have been supported by the scheme.
The scheme has been given additional funding to reduce waiting times. The number of free home upgrades is expected to go from an average of 177 per month in 2021 to 400 per month this year (2022).
You must be in receipt of certain welfare payments, the house be built and occupied before 1993 (it used to be pre-2006), and your energy rating an E or worse.
One Stop Shop
The One Stop Shop scheme, which was capped at 35 per cent of the renovation cost and rolled out on the back of the now defunct deep retrofit pilot scheme, will now fund half of the whole house energy upgrade costs.
This is for people who want to upgrade the energy efficiency of their home all in the one go, which tends to cost in the tens of thousands depending on the house type.
Window grants are available through this scheme.
Individual grants
Individual grants under the Better Energy Homes scheme, which is for insulation upgrades and renewables, have also been increased.
The solar PV and heat pump schemes have now also been lumped into the Better Energy Homes scheme.
Grant amounts have been increased as follows.
Note: the PV grant to install a battery, to store electricity, is no longer available (it used to be €600).
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