Warmer Homes Scheme
Free of charge. The upgrades are fully funded for eligible households, you pay nothing.
Last checked July 2026 · Updated 27 September 2026
What it is
Free energy upgrades for eligible lower-income households. The waiting list can be long, but you may be able to apply directly for individual attic or cavity wall insulation grants instead, without losing your place on the list.
Who can get it
- You own and live in the home as your main residence
- The home was built and lived in before 2006
- You receive one of these: Fuel Allowance, Working Family Payment, One-Parent Family Payment, Domiciliary Care Allowance, Carer's Allowance (living with the person you care for), Jobseeker's Allowance for over six months with a child under seven, or Disability Allowance for over six months with a child under seven
- A surveyor finds your home suitable for the works (some homes do not qualify)
- On 29 September 2026 the Government announced that fully funded solar panels (up to 4kWp) and a 5kWh battery will be offered as standard under Warmer Homes, from 6 October 2026, subject to final arrangements. SEAI has not yet published who gets them or how it works for homes already on the waiting list.
- An SEAI surveyor chooses the upgrades. They may include attic and wall insulation, draught proofing, lagging jackets and efficient lighting. Windows are only replaced when they are single-glazed and done as part of wall insulation work, not on their own. Oil and gas boilers are not replaced, even if yours is broken. A heat pump is only offered to homes with low heat loss.
- You can bypass the waiting list: if you're on a qualifying welfare payment, you can apply directly for the individual attic (up to €2,500) or cavity wall (up to €2,300 for a detached house, less for smaller homes) insulation grants instead, choosing your own contractor for a faster job, without affecting your place on the Warmer Homes waiting list for other measures. Check how you will pay first. SEAI's Warmer Homes page says you pay the contractor and the grant is refunded to you afterwards. SEAI's grant guide also lets a registered contractor take the grant off the price and be paid it directly, so ask each contractor which way they work. Warmer Homes itself is free with nothing to pay.
- There is a long waiting list for the full scheme. SEAI says you can currently expect a contractor to contact you about 15 months after you apply. It is first come, first served, but homes built before 1993 with a low BER (E, F or G) are prioritised.
- If your home already had Warmer Homes works done on or after 1 July 2018, you are usually not eligible again. If your earlier works were before then, you may still get some upgrades, depending on what was done.
- If you're newly on a qualifying welfare payment, wait 5 to 6 weeks after your first payment before applying.
- The Household Benefits Package on its own does not qualify you. You need one of the payments listed above.
- A dormer or attic conversion cannot get attic insulation under this scheme, it's outside the scope of the programme.
- Apply directly to SEAI. If you live in an apartment, you need your management company's permission first.
- Questions: the SEAI Warmer Homes team on 01 808 2005 or warmerhomes@seai.ie.
How to apply
Applications go through SEAI. The official page has the full eligibility rules and the application itself.
Go to the official page →Checked against the official source on 15 July 2026. Last updated on 27 September 2026. Always confirm the details on the official page before applying.
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