Thinking about a heat pump? The grants just got better. But the rules confuse a lot of people. Let’s clear it up.
The money on the table
As of October 2026, the grants have gone up. If you’re replacing an old gas, oil or solid fuel boiler, here’s the full stack:
- €6,500 for the heat pump itself.
- €2,000 for central heating upgrades. Radiators, pipework or underfloor.
- €4,000 Renewable Heat Bonus for ditching the fossil fuel system.
- €2,000 Boiler Scrappage grant. This one’s brand new, in from 6 October.
Add it up and that’s a maximum of €14,500.
Already have a heat pump and want to replace it? Different story. That’s capped at €6,500, and the bonuses don’t apply.
How do you qualify? Meet the HLI.
Here’s the bit that trips everyone up. Your home has to be heat-pump ready. SEAI checks this with something called the Heat Loss Indicator, or HLI.
What is it? Simple. It’s how fast your home loses heat. The lower the number, the better.
Your HLI needs to be 2.3 or below. That’s the magic number.
So how do you prove it? It depends on the age of your home.
Built from 2007 onwards? You’re grand. No assessment needed. SEAI assumes your home is up to scratch.
Built before 2007? You’ll need to confirm the HLI. Already have a valid BER cert showing 2.3 or less? That does the job. No assessment needed. If not, a registered advisor does a technical assessment to check it. SEAI puts €200 towards the cost.
What if the number’s too high? Usually it means a bit of insulation work first. Attic or walls. Better to know now than later.
Do you need a One Stop Shop? No.
Here’s a myth worth busting. A lot of people think a heat pump grant means signing up to a big retrofit scheme. It doesn’t.
You can take the individual grant route instead. You hire your own registered installer. That’s us. The work gets done. You claim the grant straight from SEAI afterwards. Approval usually takes four to eight weeks.
Simpler. You stay in control. And you deal directly with the people doing the work.
One rule to remember. You can’t claim both routes for the same job. It’s one or the other.
Where we come in
At Premier Heating Consultants, we install heat pumps across Ireland. And we guide you through the grant process from start to finish. Checking your HLI, sizing the system, sorting the paperwork.
Want to know exactly what you’d qualify for?
