What home improvement grants are available in Ireland today, in both NI and ROI? Here’s an overview of what you can get if you’re building an extension or renovating your home.
In this article we cover:
- Grants for those renovating their home in ROI
- Grants for those renovating their home in NI
- How much you can get for each
- Fiscal incentives
There are many grants available for those who are renovating their home in Ireland today; find out what they are and how much you can get.
Home improvement grants in the Republic of Ireland (ROI)
Energy upgrade grants
For homeowners who aren’t on a low income there are two main grant routes accessed via the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI): individual home energy upgrade grants (Better Energy Homes) and the National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme – One Stop Shop (OSS) grants. Both of these grants apply to existing buildings only, not extensions.
- Better Energy Homes
These individual energy upgrade grants are available for homes built and occupied before 2011 for insulation upgrades, and before 2021 for heat pumps and renewable systems.
A contribution towards your Building Energy Rating (BER) in the context of the work is also available. Note that grant amounts for solar PV decrease every year.
This scheme does not cover windows and doors, or the replacement of gas or oil boilers.
With this grant route, applicants select an SEAI registered contractor and apply for a grant through an online application system. The grant is paid directly to the applicant or the contractor provided that works have been completed and the compliant Request for Payment, and Declaration of Works forms have been submitted.
The beauty of the Better Energy Homes programme is the flexibility it offers. Rather than tackling everything at once, you can take it step by step, upgrading your home over time in a way that suits your budget.
Whether you start small with a single improvement or take a more à la carte approach by combining several upgrades, the programme is designed to work around your needs.
| Better Energy Home Grants (April 2025) | |
| Upgrade Type | Grant Value |
| Heat Pump System (Homes built and occupied before 2021) | |
| Air to water, water to air | €6,500 |
| Air to air | €3,500 |
| Technical assessment – needed before applying for heat pump grant | €200 |
| Heating Controls | |
| €700 | |
| Solar Hot Water (Homes built and occupied before 2021) | |
| €1,200 | |
| Attic Insulation (Homes built and occupied before 2011) | |
| Mid Terrace | €1,200 |
| Semi Detached / End Terrace | €1,300 |
| Detached | €1,500 |
| Cavity Insulation (Homes built and occupied before 2011) | |
| Mid Terrace | €800 |
| Semi Detached / End Terrace | €1,200 |
| Detached | €1,700 |
| Internal Wall Insulation (Dry Lining) (Homes built and occupied before 2011) | |
| Mid Terrace | €2,000 |
| Semi Detached / End Terrace | €3,500 |
| Detached | €4,500 |
| External Wall Insulation (Wrapping) (Homes built and occupied before 2021) | |
| Mid Terrace | €3,500 |
| Semi Detached / End Terrace | €6,000 |
| Detached | €8,000 |
| Solar PV (Photovoltaic Panels) | |
| €700 per kWp up to 2kWp | |
| €200 for every additional kWp (up to 4kWp) | |
| Maximum Grant | €1,800 |
| BER Assessment (Post Works) | |
| €50 |
Example
For many homeowners in rural areas, where cavity wall construction is common, a popular starting point is a combination of cavity wall insulation and attic insulation. Together, these upgrades can qualify for grants of up to €3,250 (€1,700 for cavity wall insulation, €1,500 for attic insulation plus €50 towards a post-works BER). Considering the typical cost of these works falls between €3,000 and €5,000, the grant can cover as much as 80 per cent of the bill.
In urban areas, where homes are more likely to have solid walls, homeowners often opt for external or internal wall insulation paired with attic insulation. It’s an effective way to boost the overall energy performance of older properties.
- National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme – One Stop Shops (OSS)
National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme grants subsidise a whole house energy upgrade, including windows and ventilation system. When the work is completed your property should have an energy efficiency rating of B2 or above.
The SEAI administers the grants and a private company manages the work for you. These companies are called One Stop Shops, which is why the scheme is also known as the One Stop Shop Service.
The One Stop Shop will apply and manage the entire project on your behalf.
One Stop Shops can also help you apply for low-cost government loans for your home energy upgrades via the Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme. The minimum loan amount is €5,000.
While there’s more on offer in terms of OSS grant amounts, the overall cost/commitment for the home owner is greater too.
According to the SEAI for a detached house to get from D2 to A2 typically costs €66,503, minus the typical grant amount of €23,200, making the homeowner €43,303 out of pocket.
| One Stop Shop Grants (April 2025) | |
| Upgrade Type | Grant Value |
| Heat Pump System | |
| Air to water, water to air | €6,500 |
| Air to air | €3,500 |
| Central heating system for heat pump | €2,000 |
| Heat pump bonus | €2,000 |
| Heating Controls | |
| €700 | |
| Solar Hot Water | |
| €1,200 | |
| Attic Insulation | |
| Mid Terrace | €1,200 |
| Semi Detached / End Terrace | €1,300 |
| Detached | €1,500 |
| Cavity Insulation | |
| Mid Terrace | €800 |
| Semi Detached / End Terrace | €1,200 |
| Detached | €1,700 |
| Internal Wall Insulation (Dry Lining) | |
| Mid Terrace | €2,000 |
| Semi Detached / End Terrace | €3,500 |
| Detached | €4,500 |
| External Wall Insulation (Wrapping) | |
| Mid Terrace | €3,500 |
| Semi Detached / End Terrace | €6,000 |
| Detached | €8,000 |
| Windows (Complete Upgrade) | |
| Mid Terrace | €1,800 |
| Semi Detached / End Terrace | €3,000 |
| Detached | €4,000 |
| External Doors (Max 2) | |
| €800 per door | |
| Floor Insulation | |
| €3,500 | |
| Solar PV (Photovoltaic Panels) | |
| €700 per kWp up to 2kWp | |
| €200 for every additional kWp (up to 4kWp) | |
| Maximum Grant | €1,800 |
| Mechanical Ventilation | |
| €1,500 | |
| Air Tightness | |
| €1,000 | |
| Home Energy Assessment | |
| €350 | |
| Project Management | |
| Mid Terrace | €1,200 |
| Semi Detached / End Terrace | €1,600 |
| Detached | €2,000 |
Most utility companies are now offering supports by facilitating or being a One Stop Shop, e.g. Electric Ireland Superhomes. Some even offering loans to get the work done, e.g. Energia’s Cosy Home scheme.
To check for eligibility and to apply to SEAI grant: seai.ie.
Fiscal Incentives
The Help to Buy scheme helps first-time-buyers put down a deposit to build their new home or to buy one. For a self-build you will need a solicitor to do the paperwork for you and it’s a tax back scheme, so you need to have paid taxes the previous four years.
The scheme is currently available until December 31, 2025 and will be extended another five years.
PV panels are now also tax exempt. There is a microgenerator tax break too.
Restoration and Renovation Grants and Loans
Vacant Property grants
You can get €50k for a vacant property or €70k for a derelict property to do it up – you can already own the property or be in the process of buying it. And it can be a renovate-to-rent project; you don’t have to live in it. Find out how to apply here. There are loans available to those who apply for these grants too.
First Home Scheme
Open to self-builders and home improvers, this scheme helps you bridge the funding gap when taking out a mortgage. It is a shared equity scheme and you get the money as the second drawdown on your mortgage. More info here.
Repair & Leasing Scheme
The Repair & Leasing Scheme will give you a loan to repair a home you own that has not been lived in for at least a year – up to €80,000 per unit (inc VAT) – with a view of leasing it out for social housing purposes. Leasing terms from five years to 25 years are available. More information here.
Broader supports are available for vacant properties here.
Traditional Buildings Grants
You can get up to €15,000 through the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) for small scale restoration works. The scheme usually opens in November with applications closing January.
The Traditional Farm Buildings Grant goes towards the conservation and repair of traditional farm buildings and related structures for farmers in the Green Low-Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS). Maximum grant amount is now €30,000; up to 75 per cent of the cost can be financed subject to the maximum grant amount. Grant amounts can be as low as €4,000 depending on the project.
A thatching grant is available towards the cost of renovating thatched roofs of owner occupied houses. A grant of two thirds of the approved cost up to a maximum of €3,810 is available.
For heritage buildings in need of considerable repair there are two grants available but these can be hard to get: the Structures at Risk Fund, with funding between €15,000 and €30,000 available, and the Built Heritage Investment Scheme which funds up to half of the total project cost. Contact your local authority for more information. A tax relief may be available too (Section 482).
Adaptation Grants
These are means tested, there’s the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability with a maximum grant amount of €30,000 or 95 per cent of the cost, the Housing Aid for Older People with a maximum grant of €8,000 or 95 per cent of the cost and the Mobility Aids Grant with a cap of €6,000 and this grant can cover 100 per cent of the cost.
Fully funded grants, or up to €5,000 whichever is lower, are available to replace old lead pipes.
Also available is a grants up to €4,000 to replace your septic tank after failing an inspection. This grant is under review to be extended to everyone deemed to be in high risk areas. In practice, this grant is very hard to get.
Home improvement grants in Northern Ireland (NI)
Housing Executive Grants
There are a number of grants available for houses in a lot of need of repair, but these tend to be very hard to get. Ulster Architectural Heritage has also published a helpful overview of the grants you could apply for if you own a historic building.
For those with mobility or disability issues there’s the Disabled Facilities Grant which could see all of the works recommended by an Occupational Therapist funded (typically up to £35,000, absolute max of £70,000). A Replacement Grant can be applied for in conjunction with the Disabled Facilities Grant; maximum grant is £31,500 for a dwelling up to 80sqm.
For those on a total annual gross income of less than £23,000, there is the Affordable Warmth Scheme, run by the NI Energy Advice Service (NIEAS) – tel 0800 111 44 55, email: NIenergyadvice@nihe.gov.uk.
There are more options but many are hard to get; further information on NIHE grants here.
Low Income Schemes
There are additional grants available through the Utility Regulator’s Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme. Details for the schemes in operation until March 2026 are here:
Many of these measures are fully funded, including to upgrade to an efficient heating system and to carry out insulation upgrades. Note that these are only open to those on a low income, i.e. single person household with income / pension less than £28,000 before tax or couple / single parent family with an income / pension less than £35,000 before tax.
Disclaimer: This list is not exhaustive, always consult with a qualified building professional. Schemes are subject to change.
