Heat pump system grant
An individual energy upgrade
After you have selected your contractors and read the grant application steps, start your grant application.
Online application (opens in a new tab)Heat pumps are renewable heating systems, offering a consistent level of comfort and reduced carbon emissions. Your home must be well insulated to benefit from a heat pump.
Who can apply
Properties owned by the following applicant types are eligible:
- Owner occupiers
- Companies including owner management companies
- Registered charities
- Holiday homes
- Approved Housing Bodies (AHB)
- Private and commercial landlords of tenanted properties
The home needs to have an MPRN. It must have been built and occupied before 2021.
Please note the difference between this grant and the heating controls grant. This grant is to install a new, energy-efficient heat pump to replace your current heating system. The heating controls grant helps to upgrade your existing heating system with smart controls.
Learn more about heat pumps and how they work (opens in a new tab)Grant values for heat pump systems
The Heat Pump System grant has been expanded and is now made up of a bundle of three grants. Each individual grant offers a fixed value. The total grant value for a Heat Pump System is up to €12,500 (depending on the dwelling type). The €12,500 is made up of the following grants:
- Up to €6,500 for the Heat Pump System
- Up to €2,000 for upgrade works, where required, to Central Heating components i.e. new radiators or underfloor heating
- A €4,000 Renewable Heat Bonus grant. Homeowners who are swapping out their existing oil/gas boiler, solid fuel heating system or electric storage heating system with a Heat Pump are eligible for this.
Please see the 'Understand how to claim your grant' section below for details on eligibility for this bundle grant and how to apply for it. If you already have a grant application in the system you will be asked to demonstrate eligibility for the three grant amounts.
Homeowners can apply for a Better Energy Homes grant to replace an existing Heat Pump where the in-situ Heat Pump has not previously been grant aided under any SEAI domestic grant schemes. The maximum grant this cohort of Homeowners can avail of for a replacement heat pump system is €6,500 (€4,500 for apartments). This cohort will not be eligible to avail of the Renewable Heat Bonus grant (€4,000) or the Central Heating grant (€2,000) as they are not decarbonising their existing heating system and should have a heat pump compatible heat distribution system already installed, respectively.
| Grants are paid up to the following amounts | Detached | Semi-detached / end of terrace | Mid-terrace | Apartment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air to water: The most common system. It extracts heat from external air using an outside unit. | €12,500 | €12,500 | €12,500 | €9,500 |
| Ground source to water: Uses the earth as a source of renewable heat. | €12,500 | €12,500 | €12,500 | €9,500 |
| Exhaust air to water: Similar to air to water but uses mechanical extract ventilation and heat recovery from the property. | €12,500 | €12,500 | €12,500 | €9,500 |
| Water to water: Uses open water as a heat source, such as lakes, rivers or streams. | €12,500 | €12,500 | €12,500 | €9,500 |
| Air to air: Distributes heat through air units. They do not provide hot water. | €7,500 | €7,500 | €7,500 | €7,500 |
| Technical assessment: Required for homes built before 2007. Must be completed before you apply for the grant. | €200 | €200 | €200 | €200 |
Before you apply
Decide how to manage the upgrades
You can either:
- Apply yourself. You apply for the grant and manage the upgrade using a registered contractor. The grant is paid directly to the applicant or contractor once the works are completed.
- Have a One Stop Shop manage the full upgrade. The One Stop Shop applies for the grant on your behalf and looks after the upgrade from start to finish. With this route, the grant is deducted upfront from the cost by your selected One Stop Shop.
Technical assessment for heat loss
Before you apply, it’s important to ensure your home has a sufficiently low level of heat loss. This is crucial for your heat pump to perform efficiently. Heat loss is how quickly your property loses heat through its walls, roofs, floors, windows and doors. A €200 grant is available for a technical assessment to measure heat loss.
The construction year of your property can help determine if your home is ready for a heat pump.
- Homes built before 2007: A Technical Assessment is required if you do not have a valid BER assessment or if your BER Assessment indicates your dwelling has a high heat loss. You do not need one if your valid BER says your Heat Loss Indicator is equal to or less than 2.3 W/(K.m2).
- Homes built from 2007 onwards: A Technical Assessment is not required, as your dwelling is likely to have a sufficient heat loss. You can still choose to get a Technical Assessment but fabric upgrades are not mandatory.
Self-Declaration Form
The Self-Declaration Form confirms your home meets SEAI’s heat loss requirements where a technical assessment is not required. You qualify if:
- Your dwelling was built from 2007 onwards
- Your dwelling was built before 2007 and has a valid BER certificate stating that the Heat Loss Indicator is equal to or less than 2.3 W/(K.m2).
You can upload your Technical Assessment or Self-Declaration form during the online application process.
Understand how to claim your grant
The maximum Heat Pump System grant on the Better Energy Homes Programme has been increased to €12,500 (depending on dwelling type, see Grant Values above). This heat pump system grant bundle is made up of the following three components:
- Up to €6,500 Heat Pump Unit Grant
- Up to €2,000 Central Heating Grant for required upgrade works, where necessary, to central heating components i.e. new radiators and/or new underfloor heating
- Up to €4,000 Renewable Heat Bonus Grant for swapping out your existing fossil fuel heating system such as an oil/gas boiler, solid fuel system or electric storage heating system.
Homeowners can apply for this bundle grant by going through the online portal - Online BEH Application Wizard and by selecting ‘Heat Pump System’ on the Measures page.
By installing a heat pump system you will be eligible for the Heat Pump Unit Grant. Eligibility for the Central Heating Grant and the Renewable Heat Bonus Grant will depend on your Contractors installation design.
Please note, you cannot receive a grant which exceeds the total cost of works. Therefore, if the total cost of works is lower than the maximum available grant, you will receive the cost of works amount as grant payment.
The Homeowner Application Guide explains how to claim a grant, with terms and conditions.
How to apply
This is the process to follow if you're applying for the grant yourself. If you're using a One Stop Shop, they will take over this process for you.
If you are applying for the grant yourself, the next step is to choose your contractor. You must select an SEAI registered contractor. Please ensure your contractor is registered for the type of work that they are carrying out.
Be sure to:
- Shop around to get the best quote
- Check references and talk to previous customers
Get a written contract detailing the works, prices, time, payment terms and warranties
You must have grant approval before you start works. Make your application online or by post.
See question 2.7 on support for individual energy grant applications for details on applying as a company, owner management company, undertaking, charity and approved housing body.
To apply you need:
- To be the owner of the property
- The 11-digit MPRN of your property, which you can find on your electricity bill
- The name and ID number of your registered contractor
- Your dwelling type (for example apartment, detached, mid-terrace)
- The grants you wish to apply for
- Year your home was built and occupied
- Self-Declaration Form or Technical Assessment
Once you receive your offer, you have 30 days to accept. After this period you will have to re-apply.
Apply online
Your application should be approved in minutes. You will receive a letter of offer in the post, along with Declaration of Works and Request for Payment forms.
Apply by post
To apply by post, please download the application form and post it to:
Better Energy Homes Scheme
Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland
P.O. Box 119
Cahirciveen
Co. Kerry
If you applied by post you should receive your grant offer within 5 working days.
You have eight months from the date of the grant offer to drawdown the grant. Within this time you need to:
- Have the works completed by an SEAI registered contractor
- Get a post-works BER assessment and certificate
- Return your completed and signed grant paperwork to SEAI
For questions about the process, please contact us at 01808 2004 or by email at [email protected].
Safety file from contractor
Make sure to hold onto any documentation from your contractor. They must provide you with your safety file. For details on what it should contain, see '4.2 Safety file from contractor' on the support for individual grant applications page.
All grant applicants must carry out a post-works BER assessment. This is required before drawing down the grant. It must be carried out by a registered SEAI BER Assessor. There is a €50 BER grant available towards this.
Following completion of your heat pump system works, you must submit the following documents to SEAI:
Declaration of Works Form signed by you, your BER assessor and registered contractor
a. Designer Installer form/Heating Design Sheet (provided by you contractor)
b. Eco Design data sheet (provided by you contractor)
- Request for Payment form
- A Tax Clearance Certificate if you have received grant payments of more than €10,000 in a single calendar year
The Homeowner's Guide to Signing Declarations of Works contains help on signing the forms.
Grants are paid into your nominated bank account once we receive the forms mentioned in Step 5. Please allow 4 to 6 weeks to process the grant payment.
We sometimes carry out inspections to make sure your energy efficiency was improved as much as possible. If your home is inspected and reworks are necessary, your contractor will need to make a return visit. This will impact payment timeframes.
Read the Guide to Inspections to get a sense of what is involved if your home is inspected.
Considering a complete home energy upgrade?
A One Stop Shop can manage a full home energy upgrade on your behalf. The grant is deducted from the cost of works upfront.
Upgrade to a minimum B2 BER