Grants

Who can avail of the scheme?
It is a National scheme and therefore all homeowners of dwellings built before 2006* may apply. Landlords and owners of multiple properties may also apply, however they must submit a separate application form for each property. If you are a landlord or a management company considering an entire building upgrade, please contact SEAI before applying online for the grant.

[*Homes built from 2006 onwards should have been constructed to the 2003 Building Regulations and so should not require significant insulation or heating system upgrades]

What type of work can I get a grant for?
Grants will be provided to homeowners who invest in energy efficiency improvements in the following area:
• Roof Insulation
• Wall Insulation – this includes either cavity wall, internal dry lining or external insulation
• Installation of a High Efficiency (> 90%) Gas or Oil fired Boilers with Heating Controls Upgrade*
• Heating Controls Upgrade*
• Building Energy Rating (BER) – is an integral part to the scheme and is undertaken after grant aided works are completed**

* Minimum requirement of: 2 zones (space and water) with 7 day programmer (time and temperature) control and boiler interlock, time and temperature control of electric immersion heater and either 1 more zone control or 3 TRV’s.
**This comes into effect from the 8th of June 2010. As a BER certificate is required for each application, it is advisable that homeowners apply for, and undertake, all planned grant aided works at the same time to minimize the costs associated with multiple BERs. Note that grant payment can only be claimed once all measures associated with your application have been completed, including the BER assessment.

How much are the grants?
Grants are fixed for each type of measure as indicated in the table below. Grant approval must be in place before any purchase of materials or commencement of measures undertaken. Grants are paid after the measures are completed and the contractor has been paid by the homeowner. In the instance where the cost of the work (vat inclusive) is less than the fixed grant amount, the actual cost will be reimbursed.

* Please note that while you are entitled to apply for each Measure there is a minimum requirement that the grant amount in the first application must be €500 or greater. The BER grant cannot form part of this €500 amount.

What is a Building Energy Rating or BER?
A Building Energy Rating or BER is similar to the energy label on your fridge with a scale of A-G. A-rated homes are the most energy efficient and G the least efficient. A BER is based on the characteristics of major components of the dwelling (wall, roof and floor dimensions, window and door sizes and orientations) as well as the construction type and levels of insulation, ventilation and air tightness features, the systems for heat supply (including renewable energy), distribution and control, and the type of lighting. It covers annual energy use for space heating, water heating, ventilation, lighting and associated pumps and fans, calculated on the basis of a notional standard family with a standard pattern of occupancy.

What is the Building Energy Rating (BER) requirement under HES?
The Home Energy Saving scheme provides grant aid to homeowners towards upgrades of roof and wall insulation and heating systems. In order to measure the impact of the programme SEAI has introduced a requirement for homeowners to undertake a BER after the upgrade works have been completed. The BER assessment is to be completed by a registered BER assessor following a site visit after HES upgrade works have been completed. The assessor will furnish you with a certificate indicating the energy performance of your home based on an A-G scale. The assessor will also complete essential information on the BER Confirmation and Request for Payment form. For more information on Building Energy Rating see www.seai.ie/be

What grant is available for undertaking a BER?
A homeowner is entitled to BER funding of €100 once per home. This funding will be applied to your grant application automatically provided you have never applied previously for BER funding. You will be informed during the online grant application process if BER funding is available for your home or as part of your Letter of Grant Offer if you have applied through the post.