Fully funded energy upgrades

1.1 I am applying for a free energy upgrade. What can I expect?

• You apply to SEAI, either online here or using our application form [download here]
• You must have a published BER. If you do not have a BER, SEAI will carry one out for you at no cost to you
• If you are eligible, an SEAI surveyor surveys your home to make upgrade recommendations
• A contractor is appointed from SEAI's panel of contractors to carry out the upgrade works
• After the works are completed our energy assessment team will carry out a BER assessment. There may also be a quality inspection of your home.

1.2 I am applying for a free energy upgrade, but my contractor calls it a 'Warmer Homes Scheme' instead.

SEAI operates a number of Energy Poverty Programmes. The Warmer Homes Scheme [WHS] has been in operation since 2002 as an Energy Poverty Programme, providing attic and cavity upgrades to homes in receipt of certain welfare payments. Over the years, the Scheme has grown significantly and now delivers a wide range of upgrades to eligible homeowners. When applying online, until your home and qualifying payment have been verified, you will be on the Free Energy Upgrades waiting list. After verification, you will proceed along the WHS journey.

1.3 I am eligible for fully funded upgrades. What costs are involved?

The measures recommended on a home on the programme are free to all qualifying applicants. There is no charge attached to any part of the retrofit journey. Any works outside the scope of the recommendations are subject to cost. SEAI's Fully Funded Energy Upgrades are co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the ERDF Northern and Western and Southern, Eastern & Midland Regional Programmes.

2.1 What payments qualifies me for the scheme?

We deliver free energy upgrades such as attic, cavity and solid wall insulation and, in some instances, windows and heating systems, to homeowners who receive any of the following welfare payments.

• Fuel Allowance
• Job Seekers Allowance with a child under 7 years of age
• Working Family Payment
• One-Parent Family Payment
• Domiciliary Carers Allowance
• Carers Allowance and living with the person you are caring for
• Disability Allowance with a child under 7 years of age

2.2 How do I prove my eligibility?

You can do it two ways. SEAI is now partnering with the Department of Social Protection to make verification of your welfare payment easy. To do this, SEAI will need your Personal Public Service Number [PPSN] and your date of birth which you can enter on our online application form here. The online application will prompt you for the relevant documents as part of the process.

If you prefer to apply using our paper application form, you must provide your PPSN and your date of birth to verify your eligibility.

2.3 I am on Household Benefits Package. Am I eligible to receive free energy upgrades?

No, only those in receipt of qualifying payments above are eligible. Those in receipt of the Household Benefits Package are not eligible under this scheme.

2.4 I received works on the scheme before. Am I eligible to receive more free energy upgrades?

In some instances, you may be eligible to receive more fully funded energy upgrades. Generally, if you received works on or after July 1, 2018, you are not eligible for any further works at this time. Please refer to Table 2 for measures available for homes.

2.5 I am living in my house, but I do not own it. Can I apply?

No. The scheme only applies to homes, owned and occupied by the applicant; only the owner can apply to the scheme.

2.6 My home was built in 2006. Can I apply?

Only homes, built and occupied before 2006 are eligible for the scheme.

2.7 I do not have a BER. Do I have to get a BER to apply for the scheme?

If you are eligible for the scheme and you do not already have a BER, SEAI will assign an assessor to your home to carry out a BER assessment, at no cost to you. You will also have a BER carried out after your works are completed.

2.8 I think I am eligible for the free energy upgrades. What do I do?

You should first ensure you are eligible for the programme and then proceed to make an online application here. Before you start, refer to 'Important Tips' on the application page here, to ensure you have the necessary documentation and qualifying payment. You will need to share your PPSN and date of birth so we can determine whether you are eligible or not.

2.8 I do not want to make an online application. Can I post one in?

Yes, SEAI will process your application if you send it in a paper copy to our customer call centre. There may be additional waiting time to process a paper copy so, if possible, get help in making the online application.

2.9 The online application is looking for my date of birth and PPSN. Why?

SEAI confirms all qualifying payments with the Department of Social Protection. This confirmation is determined by the sharing of an applicant's date of birth and PPSN. SEAI does not retain this information once the applicant is eligible and their application has been validated.

3.1 I have completed my online application and I am eligible. What next?

This depends. If you have a BER for your home, you will move along the application journey to be allocated to a surveyor. This should save a little time. If you do not have a BER, SEAI will carry out one at no charge to you. This is an important task in that it establishes how your home is performing before any works take place.

3.2 I have received a call from a BER assessor. What happens next?

All eligible homes on the scheme must have a BER in place before any works can be recommended. If you do not already have one, SEAI will carry out one at no charge to you. The BER assessor will make an appointment with you at your convenience and carry out an assessment of your home. A copy will be sent to you in the post.  

3.3 I have received a call from SEAI, asking me questions about my house. What is this?

SEAI's Managing Agent will contact you to check to see if there are any reasons why the works cannot take place. This is a general call, to ensure that a visit will be of benefit and that in principle, works may be recommended.

3.4 My application was cancelled following my survey call from SEAI. What next?

There can be instances where the application will be cancelled at this point of the application journey as it may not be possible for any works to be recommended. These reasons might be that no further works are possible [for example, that is has attic and wall insulation already], or that the house is not technically possible to insulate [for example, a timber frame home, dormer roofs]. Refer to Table 2 on homes not technically possible to insulate. If you feel you have not been clear or represented accurately, that is no problem; call 01 8082005 or email in your query to [email protected] and we will ensure that you receive satisfactory clarification on your cancellation.

3.5 I have received a call from an SEAI surveyor. What happens next?

All qualifying homes on the scheme must have a survey carried out before any works can be allocated to an SEAI Contractor. The SEAI Surveyor will agree an appointment with you at your convenience to you before they carry out a survey of your home. They will make recommendations in line with scheme rules and then take you through them at the end of the survey. You will be asked to sign the survey after the surveyor has taken you through the measures. You must ensure you understand what is being recommended so ask your surveyor to explain it to you carefully.   

3.6 Can I ask my surveyor for upgrades?

The SEAI surveyor is trained to assess your home's suitability for upgrades available on the scheme. The upgrades can only be determined by the surveyor in line with these scheme rules. Refer to our table of measures to understand what is available on the programme.

3.7 My SEAI surveyor has told me I am not eligible for any works. Can I appeal this?

The SEAI surveyor is trained to assess your home's suitability for upgrades available on the scheme. The upgrades can only be determined by the SEAI surveyor in line with these scheme rules. If the surveyor has determined that there are no works possible at the home survey stage, you should be clear on the reasons why so ensure you ask your SEAI surveyor at the time of their visit.

3.8 I have received a notification that I have been assigned an SEAI contractor. What happens next?

Congratulations, you have moved to the next stage in the application journey and received a notification confirming this. Your SEAI-appointed contractor will be in touch. It is important to note that all scheduling of projects is managed in accordance with your contractor's own scheduling capacity. You should ask for a programme of key dates when meeting with your contractor for the first time. Your contractor should add a customer contact for you in your 'Welcome to your Warmer Home' Welcome Pack so that you can use that contact for any queries or clarifications you might have over the course of the works. As per the waiting list time, it is important to know that given the demand of the scheme, contractors are working very hard to get to everyone, but it can take time and you will have to be patient when waiting for works to start and finish.

3.9 My SEAI Contractor has told me that my home is not suitable for any works. What happens next?

Your SEAI contractor is trained to validate the SEAI surveyor's recommendations for upgrades available on the scheme. The upgrades will be validated by your appointed contractor when they carry out their own technical assessment. If your contractor has determined that there are no works possible, you should be clear on the reasons why. If you need further clarification on these reasons, you should call your contractor to go through the reasons carefully.

4.1 Can I change my SEAI Contractor?

SEAI allocates all works to their panel of appointed contractors who are experienced in carrying out works on poorly performing homes. Given the high demand of the scheme, SEAI works to tight deadlines and does not provide bespoke allocation services to applicants. When you are allocated your contractor, this is the contractor who will work with you for the duration of the works. You should be supplied with a contact who you can discuss any issues should they arise.

4.2 Can I limit the time my contractor spends in my home?

SEAI Contractors should be provided with reasonable access to your home during the course of the work. There may be some flexibility extended to you for a short period of time but if you think you may want extensive limits to contractor access, the contractor may proceed to cancel the works. You should be clear about access to your home at the first meeting with your contractor.

4.3 I do not have single glazed windows. Can I get new windows?

SEAI only replaces single-glazed windows on the scheme and as part of a wall insulation upgrade.

4.4 I have single glazed windows, but my walls are already insulated. Can I get new windows?

SEAI only replaces single-glazed windows on the scheme where a proportion of your walls are to be insulated.

4.5 I live in an apartment. Can I receive any upgrades on the scheme?

If you live in an apartment SEAI will require that you provide evidence of consent from your management company or otherwise, to carry out measures which may impact the exterior, structure and possibly common spaces of the building. The following are some of the measures that are available under the Scheme for apartments:

• Internal wall insulation.
• Background/permanent ventilation to enable wall insulation measures.
• Heating measures such as gas/oil/electric installations where eligible.
• Renewable systems such as heat pumps where suitable and eligible.
• Attic insulation and associated storage and safety flooring.
• Mechanical ventilation systems where necessary.

As these measures will involve potential interventions with the walls, structure and/or common areas of the property, permission may need to be obtained from the management company for this to be carried out. The following interventions will require permission for the proposed works to be carried out where applicable at this property:

• Drilling and refilling of walls by an SEAI surveyor,
• Coring of walls for new vents/flues,
• Provision of attic insulation, storage and safety flooring,
• Installation of roof tiles vents,
• Installation of internal wall insulation,
• Installation of mechanical ventilation systems,
• Installation of boilers, storage heaters or heat pumps externally.

All applicants who reside in an apartment will need to have the management company’s consent in place for all these potential recommendations. The application will not progress until consent has been received and applicants are advised to ensure they attach to their application when applying. The template Consent Letter can be downloaded here.

4.6 I live in a period/stone house. Can I receive upgrades?

SEAI does not currently carry out wall insulation on homes older than 1940, traditional or older buildings, specifically stone, random rubble and single-leaf brick walls. You may be entitled to other measures too, which the surveyor will determine during their visit. SEAI carries out insulation work on cavity and concrete walls only. Cavity walls are generally suitable for insulation when there is a reasonable gap between the inner and outer leaf of masonry. The gap is filled with bonded bead, which is also waterproof, providing an increase in warmth. Concrete walls (hollow-block, block and mass), are generally suitable for insulation, have good insulation properties, are not permeable, and adding layers of insulation significantly improves the performance of the wall.

When considering insulating a stone or single-leaf wall, SEAI recommends you should consult a professional who specialises in the treatment of heritage or period dwellings such as these.

4.7 My heating is broken. Can I receive a heating upgrade?

SEAI primarily provides insulation to homes and does not provide heating replacements for broken systems. In some cases, where more than a significant amount of wall is being externally or internally insulated, SEAI is legally obliged, under the building regulations, to appraise the existing heating system with a view to potential replacement.

4.8 Can I be recommended a heat pump?

SEAI has proceeded to install heat pumps in a small number of suitable homes across the country, as part of a pilot for heat pumps in energy poor homes.  Only a home which has been recommended for a heating system may be considered for a heat pump and the homes suitable for this installation must have a verified overall low heat loss. If this is not the case, installing a heat pump will be expensive and may shorten the life of the heat pump. The following homes would generally not be suitable for a heat pump:

• Older homes built before 2000
• Detached homes
• Homes with a single-storey flat roofed extension
• Rooms in roof [conversions].

Should you have any questions on why your home was not recommended for a heat pump, you should ask your surveyor directly or call our Technical Call Centre at 01 2776977 and they will take you through the requirements.

4.9 How long will it take for me to have my works done?

Due to the high demand and post pandemic delays, the waiting list for the scheme has extended significantly. While we are returning to normal capacity, it is important to be aware that it may take more than a 2-year waiting time before your home is completed. SEAI will update the following waiting times over the year for the:

• Pre-works BER - Approx 8 - 10 months from application
• Survey - Approx 14 months from application
• Post works BER/Inspection - Approx 2 - 3 months after works completed
• Works Completed - Approx 24 - 26 months from application

4.10 I have been told my house is on the prioritised list. What does this mean?  

Since 2022, the Scheme targets the worst performing properties, by prioritising homes that were built and occupied before 1993 and have a pre-works BER of E, F or G. Homes built on or before 1993 or have a BER of E, F or G may receive works at a sooner stage in the process.

4.11 I have been told my house is not on the prioritised list. What does this mean? 

The Scheme targets the worst performing properties, by prioritising homes that were built and occupied before 1993 and have a pre-works BER of E, F or G. Homes built on or after 1993 or have a BER better than E, F or G may receive works at a later stage in the process.