I hear financial assistance is available to help buy new windows and doors. Is this true?

It is true, but there’s more to it than that. Minister for Energy Darragh O’Brien has announced a package of new and enhanced grants for homeowners if they upgrade their homes and make them more energy efficient.

That sounds promising. Can you tell me more?

From the start of next week, the grants available for cavity wall insulation is going up to €1,800 from a max of €1,700 while the money for attic insulation is going up to a maximum of €2,000 from €1,500. The increases recognise that costs have climbed significantly since the grants were last modified in 2022.

Is that all?

No. The Minister acknowledged that the upfront cost of heat pumps and the cost of potentially replacing an entire heating system “may be a barrier to some homeowners” having them installed.

Well that seems obvious, doesn’t it?

It does seem obvious, but he was leading toward an overall point. To reduce costs associated with a whole-house heating-system upgrade, and to accelerate the uptake of heat pumps, a fixed-amount grant for installing a heat-pump system will be introduced. This grant encompasses the existing €6,500 for the heat pump, €2,000 for upgrading radiators and pipework and a new renewable heating bonus of €4,000. The new maximum grant of €12,500 will apply to applications already in train with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and not yet processed for payment.

And will that cover the cost of a heat pump?

No, but it will amount to more than 50 per cent of the total cost of a heat pump – which will take the sting out of it.

So, back to the windows and doors – what am I getting?

From March 2nd, a new grant will be introduced for the installation of energy-efficient windows and doors.

Will it be available to everyone who fancies new windows?

No. The idea is not to help people fund the replacement of old windows and doors but to help them improve the overall efficiency of their homes. With that in mind, the grant will only be available if homes already meet a specified minimum performance standard.

What does that mean?

It means that before you can get the grant, the rest of your house will have to be insulated to a certain standard. The Department has said “many homes will already meet this standard”. Homes that don’t meet this standard may need attic and/or wall insulation fitted. This can be done at the same time the windows are being installed and the Department has stressed “generous grants” are already available for this work.

So, do I need a heat pump before I can get this grant?

You don’t, but the idea is that the new windows and doors combined with the improved insulation – if necessary – will mean your home is heat-pump ready.

How much is the new grant worth?

There will be a grant of up to €800 per door up to a maximum of two doors, so if you live in a house with more than two you will have to cover the full cost of the others yourself. There will also be a maximum grant of €4,000 available to cover the cost of installing windows in detached properties. This falls to €3,000 for semi-detached and end-of-terrace homes, €1,800 for mid-terrace homes and €1,500 for apartments.

That’s a maximum grant of €5,600, but how much do new windows and doors cost?

We asked quantity surveyor Shay Lally, who runs the HousesToRestore Instagram page, and he gave us some ballpark figures. He suggested that getting new windows and doors installed in a four-bed semi might cost around €18,000, falling to around €13,500 for a three-bed terraced house.

So, even with the grant, I still need to find around 10 grand?

True. This is where the Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme might come in. It was launched in 2024 and under it, homeowners can borrow from €5,000 to €75,000 at significantly lower interest rates to those currently on the market. The loan must be used for a deep retrofit, involving several energy upgrades at the same time, or to carry out one or two upgrades that will significantly improve the energy performance of a home.

Can I simply apply for this loan through my bank?

No – you must first get your ducks in a row. To avail of the low-cost loans, the upgrade projects must be supported by an SEAI grant, carried out by an SEAI-registered One Stop Shop or Communities Project coordinator and be projected to achieve a minimum 20 per cent improvement in the energy performance of the building.

Who has signed up to this loan scheme?

PTSB, AIB, Bank of Ireland, Avant Money (in partnership with An Post Money) and seven credit unions from the Irish League of Credit Unions are now offering loans under the scheme, with rates starting from as low as 2.99 per cent.

Is that it for the grants?

It’s not, actually. To help first-time buyers of second-hand homes “get on the energy upgrade journey”, a specific grant for attic insulation is being introduced. The Department has said “in many cases, the grant amount will cover most or even all the total cost”.

I already got a grant to improve the wall insulation in my home. I suppose there is nothing in this for me, is there?

Actually there is. Many homeowners have availed of a grant for cavity or internal wall insulation but under the new measures, they can improve the level of wall insulation and make their homes even warmer and cheaper to heat. From March 2nd, they can apply for a grant for a second wall measure.

Anything else I should know?

To make a number of lower-cost insulation measures easier to access, a higher fixed-amount grant for attic and cavity insulation will be introduced from the beginning of March. This is for homeowners on qualifying welfare payments who may be at risk of energy poverty. They will be able to select these individual energy upgrades and avail of the higher fixed-grant amounts. In many cases, the grant amount will cover most or even all the total cost, the Department has said. It is also increasing the grant rate available to approved housing bodies to help them upgrade their worst-performing homes.