Many of the grants available to homeowners revolve around improving the sustainability of the house. This includes grants for solar panels, heat pumps and insulation. These grants are a great way to lower your carbon footprint and save you money on your bills.    

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland offers a grant to help cover the cost of purchasing solar panels. This can be a great addition to the home, giving you some extra financial security by lowering your energy bills. It’s important to note that the SEAI recommends making sure your home is properly insulated before installing solar panels.  

 

To Qualify 

• Be the owner of a home built and occupied before 2021 

• Use new materials and products that were not already covered by another grant scheme 

• Use an SEAI approved company 

• Have the electrical works completed by a Safe Electric Ireland electrician 

• Provide a Declaration of Works signed by a registered installer on the SEAI Solar PV Approved Installer list 

• Have a Building Energy Rating (BER) carried out after the work is completed 

• Meet the requirements in the Solar PV Code of Practice 

This is a collection of grants designed to help improve the energy efficiency of homes around Ireland. Landlords, homeowners and approved housing bodies all have access to these schemes and there is even a specific grant to provide free energy upgrades to low-income homes. 

 There is a broad range of upgrades covered under these schemes. Including but not limited to attic and household insulation, solar panels, heat pumps, heating control solutions and even a BER assessment after works have been completed.  

To Qualify 

• Be the owner of a property built and occupied before 2011 for insulation and heating control systems 

• Be the owner of a property built and occupied before 2021 for heat pumps and renewable systems such as, solar thermal and solar PV grants 

• Use a contractor from the SEAI’s registered list 

• Use newly fitted materials and products 

• Have work done that meets the required standards 

Lead in drinking water is a major health hazard leading to lead poisoning in individuals over time. Unfortunately, even in the seventies lead was extremely common in Irish plumbing. While we now have better knowledge and use safer materials this does mean that there is a potential for many homes to still have lead pipes. 

To improve the situation this grant was introduced to decrease the cost barrier of replacing the pipes in homes. Covering works 100% of the cost of works between €750 and €5,000, this is a substantial grant. 

To Qualify 

• You must be the owner of and resident in the home you are applying for (holiday homes cannot benefit from this grant). 

• The pipes being replaced must carry water that is for human consumption (pipes to kitchen taps but not a toilet cistern). 

• While this grant is not means tested works must be at least €750 before they become eligible. 

If you or a member of your household has a recognised disability, then you can benefit from the Housing Adaption Grant for major works in adapting your home. IF you are only looking to make minor adaptions to the home there is also a smaller grant you can apply for- The Mobility Aids Grant Scheme, which functions similarly but has a lower maximum household income limit and only covers basic adaption. 

This means tested grant allows households in which a disabled person lives to make major works or expensive works to improve their quality of life. The grant will cover up to 100% of the cost of works – to a maximum of €40,000 – at the maximum band. However, there is a lower cap of €20,000 for homes less than 12 months old. 

Typical examples of works that are covered include installation of stair lifts, track and hoists, grab rails, wheelchair access, even home extensions to provide downstairs bathrooms or bedrooms.  At the local authority’s discretion many works can be included if they deem it necessary to improving the quality of life of a disabled occupant. 

To Qualify 

• Your household income for the previous tax year must not exceed €75,000 

• • There are allowances for home care fees, childcare, household costs and social welfare payments that are not counted in the total income.  

• The home must be one of: 

• • Privately owned by you or family. 

• • Provided by an approved housing authority. 

• • Communal Living Space 

• • Rental Property (if you have permission to make the changes from the landlord and the tenancy is registered with the Residential Tenancies Board) 

These are just some of the grants available to homeowners to improve their home, and there are many more available.  

Most grants revolve around updating the home to make it safer, greener or more accessible. So, if you’re just looking to update the aesthetics of your home, you’re unlikely to find a grant that works for you. If you’re looking to make tangible improvements though you should get in touch with your local authority to see what’s available to you.  

Just remember that if you’re investing in your home then it only makes sense to protect that investment. That’s where we can help with fair home insurance.