Get winter ready: Home insulation grants

Why attic insulation is the most important step in insulating a house

In this two-part blog series, we are looking at two of the simplest ways to improve your home’s warmth this winter with heating controls in part one and attic insulation which we talk about below.

If a home is not properly insulated, it loses approximately 20-30% of its heat through its roof and external walls. This loss of heat costs money in the form of higher heating bills. It also means that as soon as a cold winter arrives – a home is going to be a lot harder to heat.

Attic insulation is commonly the most cost effective of the home energy efficiency upgrades and generally does not come with a large price tag. It is also advised that the first step to warm a home is to make sure that the attic is well insulated.

Why wall insulation is key to a warmer house

There are a number of wall insulation options available depending on the wall type of your home. A registered building contractor or architect will be able to advise on the best option to suit your needs.

Anthony Crudden, a homeowner whose 1930’s house had solid walls and no insulation, recently availed of the SEAI grant to externally insulate his home, just in time for the cold winter months;

“We have a semi-detached house and every time we came into the hall it was very very cold. We were advised that the only way forward was to externally insulation the house. Now when you open the front door you can feel the heat straight away, it is no longer escaping.”

To date, over 350,000 households around Ireland have availed of SEAI grants for home energy improvements and have significantly benefited from reduced energy bills and a cosier home.

These grants are not means tested so all homeowners whose homes were built and occupied before 2006 can apply:

Grant values for insulation

Each individual grant offers a fixed value.