In this article we cover:

  • Details of proposed €14,500 boiler replacement support
  • Plans to reintroduce a grant for PV battery storage after it was scrapped in 2022
  • Existing grants explained
  • Eligibility criteria
  • When to expect the new grants to come into force

Homeowners with older oil or kerosene boilers could be eligible for up to €14,500 in combined government supports to switch to a heat pump or other heating technology under a proposed new boiler scrappage scheme.

Grants for PV battery storage, which had been scrapped in February 2022, are also likely to be reintroduced in the Irish government’s budget announcement in October.

Boiler scrappage scheme

A new boiler scrappage scheme could provide homeowners with up to €14,500 in combined supports to replace older oil and kerosene boilers, Environment Minister Darragh O’Brien has said.

The proposal is due to go before Cabinet for approval, with the Government planning to introduce the scheme from January 2027, subject to approval and the completion of the remaining details.

The proposed scrappage payment would be a top-up to existing heat pump grants, rather than a replacement for them.

Grants currently offer up to €12,500 towards a heat pump installation, including up to €6,500 towards the heat-pump system itself. The proposed boiler scrappage support of €2,000 would bring the maximum combined support to €14,500.

Which boilers will qualify?

The precise eligibility rules have not yet been announced. Minister O’Brien said the scheme would apply to boilers installed before a specified year, with the focus on systems that are at or near the end of their working life.

The Government has yet to confirm the cut-off installation date or other conditions that homeowners will have to meet.

The minister described the scheme as a longer-term measure intended to help households currently dependent on oil and kerosene heating move away from fossil fuels.

Homeowners considering a switch will need to assess the overall retrofit requirements of their property, as heat pump grants are only available if the property is reasonably energy efficient.

Battery storage grant also proposed

Minister O’Brien also said the Government is working on a grant for domestic battery storage for photovoltaic (PV) panels. He indicated that homeowners who have already been approved for solar PV could potentially qualify for the battery support.

The grant for battery storage was scrapped in 2022 and currently, grants for PV panels stand at €1,800.

An increase to the existing solar PV grant is not currently planned, according to the minister, with the focus instead on supporting domestic energy storage.

The Government is also considering measures relating to the cost of home heating oil, including ongoing discussions around carbon tax.