Solar PV for Medically Vulnerable Customers
A fully funded 2kWp solar PV system, including the survey, installation and a BER afterwards. A system of up to 4kWp with a 5kWh battery was announced from 6 October 2026, subject to final arrangements.
Last checked October 2026
What it is
Free solar panels for medically vulnerable homes: a fully funded 2kWp solar PV system, with up to 4kWp and a 5kWh battery announced from 6 October 2026, for a household on the life support category of the Priority Services Register with its energy supplier, because someone there depends on electrically powered medical equipment such as a dialysis machine, ventilator or respirator. It covers the survey and design, the supply, the installation and a BER afterwards.
Who it is for: a home where someone relies on electrically powered medical equipment, for example someone having dialysis at home or someone who needs a ventilator to help them breathe. The house must have been built and lived in on or before 31 December 2020 and must not already have solar panels.
Where to start: ask your energy supplier to put you on the life support category of the Priority Services Register. The regulator says registering must be free and easy to do, though your supplier may ask for medical confirmation.
There is no application form for the panels. Suppliers pick eligible homes from that register and write to them in batches, so you can be eligible and still hear nothing. The Minister has encouraged eligible households to contact their supplier directly about eligibility or the selection process. In March 2026 the four suppliers taking part were Flogas, Bord Gáis, SSE Airtricity and Electric Ireland.
Good to know: the Minister's answers to 7 September 2026 describe a 2kWp system with no battery or changeover switch. On 29 September 2026 the Government announced the scheme will expand to systems of up to 4kWp with 5kWh battery storage, opening from 6 October 2026, subject to final arrangements. Nothing published says a battery would keep equipment running in a power cut. Home solar systems are generally designed to switch off in a power cut, so do not count on the panels to keep equipment running. Since November 2025 it no longer matters when you joined the register.
Who can get it
- Someone in the home is registered in the life support category of the Priority Services Register with your electricity supplier
- The home depends on electrically powered equipment, such as a dialysis machine, ventilator or respirator
- The house was built and occupied on or before 31 December 2020 and does not already have solar panels
- It is described as a scheme for homeowners, so if you rent, including from a council, ask your supplier and your landlord or council
- The Minister's answers up to 7 September 2026 say the scheme does not include a battery or changeover switch, so do not count on the panels to keep equipment running in a power cut. The Government announced on 29 September 2026 that the scheme will expand to up to 4kWp with a 5kWh battery from 6 October 2026, subject to final arrangements. Nothing published says a battery would keep equipment running in a power cut.
- It works by invitation. Participating suppliers pick eligible homes and send letters of interest in batches.
- You can pay for extra panels through your supplier's installer, but you cannot choose your own installer.
- ESB Networks advises keeping essential medical devices charged and agreeing a power cut plan with your healthcare team.
- You can be eligible and still not be contacted. Each supplier works through the register in batches using its own selection process.
- There is no application form for the panels. Suppliers pick eligible homes from the life support register and write to them in batches.
How you get it
There is no application form. Participating suppliers pick eligible homes from the life support category of the Priority Services Register and write to them in batches. If nobody in the home is on that register, you join it through your own electricity supplier. If a letter comes, an installer surveys the house and gives an installation date if it is suitable.
Go to the official page →Checked against the official source on 7 October 2026. Always confirm the details on the official page before applying.
Questions people ask
Who qualifies for free solar for medically vulnerable customers?
Homes where someone is registered in the life support category of the Priority Services Register with their electricity supplier, because they depend on electrically powered equipment such as a dialysis machine, ventilator or respirator. The house must have been built and occupied on or before 31 December 2020 and must not already have solar panels. Since November 2025 it does not matter when you registered. Bord Gáis Energy's list for the life support category also includes oxygen concentrators, feeding pumps and suction machines.
How much does it cost?
The 2kWp system is fully funded, including the survey and design, supply, installation and a BER afterwards. Extra panels are at your own cost. If the survey says other work is needed first, ask in writing who pays before you agree.
How do I get it?
It works by invitation. Participating suppliers choose eligible homes using their own selection process and contact them in batches with a letter of interest, then an installer checks whether the house is suitable. In March 2026 the suppliers taking part were Flogas, Bord Gáis, SSE Airtricity and Electric Ireland.
Will the panels keep medical equipment running in a power cut?
Do not count on it. The Minister's answers up to 7 September 2026 say the scheme does not include a battery or changeover switch. A battery has been announced from 6 October 2026, subject to final arrangements, but nothing published says it would keep equipment running in a power cut. ESB Networks says small home generators such as solar panels are generally designed to switch off when the network supply is disconnected. Keep your usual plan for power cuts in place.
I am not on the register. What do I do?
Ask your electricity supplier to register you in the life support category of the Priority Services Register. The regulator says registering must be free and easy. Suppliers also keep a special services group, which is a different list. Bord Gáis Energy puts electric hoists, household lifts, pressure relieving mattresses and nebulisers outside its life support group, so check which category you are in. The supplier may ask for medical confirmation.
I am registered but have not heard anything.
Letters go out in batches and each supplier uses its own selection process. The Minister has encouraged households with questions about eligibility or selection to contact their supplier directly.
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