Wall insulation grants in Ireland (2026)

A contractor or BER assessor can tell you which walls your home has and which option makes sense. For traditional construction, start with a suitably experienced Traditional Building Professional: see the traditional-home checks. If you are thinking about a heat pump later, SEAI’s second wall grant lets you upgrade from cavity to internal or external insulation to make the home heat pump ready.

These are the individual wall-grant rules.

• All walls or nothing: every external wall must be insulated (a “whole-surface solution”). Insulating one or two walls is not eligible.
• Building Regulations: if the work alters more than 25% of your home’s surface area, the home must reach at least a B2 BER, or have a heating system and attic insulation that meet the Building Regulations standard.
• Second wall grant: after a cavity wall grant you can apply for internal or external insulation. After internal insulation you can apply for external only. After external insulation there is no second wall grant.
• Traditional homes: SEAI does not fund traditional-building wall insulation through the individual Better Energy Homes route. Check the Traditional Homes Pilot and suitability requirements.
• Ventilation: insulation makes a home more airtight. Your contractor must check ventilation and give you the product certificate (Irish Agrément) in your safety file.

Build date or the words “solid wall” alone do not decide the route. Have the construction and condition assessed before choosing insulation. The Department’s traditional-building guidance explains why materials, repairs and moisture matter.

The Better Energy Homes application guide excludes traditional-building wall insulation from the individual grant. SEAI’s Traditional Homes Pilot is a whole-house route, not a wall-only grant. You must own the home, and the proposed measures must not already have received SEAI funding. Do not start works before grant approval.

The pilot does not require a final B BER. A final BER is still required, and the other pilot conditions apply. Start with a Traditional Building Professional experienced in conservation and energy upgrades, then contact a One Stop Shop offering the pilot. See SEAI’s pilot homeowner guide and professional and provider guidance.

• Construction and condition: what are the walls made of, and what repairs or moisture issues need attention first?
• Suitable work: how will the proposed insulation protect the building’s fabric and provide ventilation?
• Planning: is the home protected, proposed for protection or in an Architectural Conservation Area, and what must the council confirm before work?

Cavity wall insulation often costs little more than the grant. External insulation is a much bigger job: the grant covers part of it and you fund the rest, so get detailed written quotes.

You pay the contractor in full and SEAI pays the grant into your account once the work is done and the paperwork is in. Some registered contractors take the grant off their price instead: you then name their bank account for the grant on SEAI’s payment form. Ask when you get quotes.