If you heat your home with oil or gas, the Government has put another €2,000 on the table for switching to a heat pump. The headline is easy to misread, so here is what SEAI actually says, what is settled and what is not.
What was announced
On 29 September 2026 the Government announced enhanced grants. The gov.ie press release and the SEAI announcement both list a €2,000 boiler scrappage grant for fossil fuel heating systems in houses built before 2021, aimed at encouraging heat pumps and other renewable heating. Full terms and eligibility details were still to follow when SEAI published the announcement.
What the heat pump bundle looks like now
SEAI’s heat pump page lists these parts:
| Part | Amount |
|---|---|
| Heat pump unit | up to €10,500 |
| Central heating upgrade (radiators, underfloor heating) | up to €2,000 |
| Boiler scrappage (oil or gas boiler, electric storage or solid fuel system removed) | €2,000 |
| Maximum bundle, house | €14,500 |
Totals by system and home type, as SEAI shows them:
| System | House | Apartment |
|---|---|---|
| Air to water, ground source, exhaust air to water, water to water | €14,500 | €11,500 |
| Air to air | €9,500 | €9,500 |
| Technical assessment (if needed) | €200 | €200 |
SEAI adds that you cannot receive more than the total cost of the works. Our older heat pump grant guide used the earlier €12,500 bundle, so use the SEAI figures above for new decisions.
Already in the process? You may get it automatically
SEAI says the Government announced the new €2,000 Boiler Scrappage Grant on Monday 29 September. Eligible homeowners with an existing Heat Pump Grant application receive it automatically, with no action needed. That covers people who haven’t completed works yet, and people who have submitted their Declaration of Works and are waiting for payment.
Who gets nothing from scrappage
SEAI says homeowners replacing a heat pump that was never grant-aided cannot get the boiler scrappage or the central heating grant. Their maximum is €6,500, or €4,500 for an apartment. The scrappage money is for removing a fossil fuel or electric storage system, not for swapping one heat pump for another.
Eligibility and heat-loss rules
- The home needs an MPRN and must have been built and occupied before 2021.
- Eligible owners include owner occupiers, companies, registered charities, holiday homes, approved housing bodies, and private and commercial landlords of tenanted properties.
- Built before 2007: a technical assessment is needed unless you have a valid BER showing a Heat Loss Indicator of 2.3 W/(K.m²) or lower.
- Built from 2007: no technical assessment is required, though you can still have one.
How to apply
- Choose an SEAI-registered contractor and get a written contract.
- Apply online or by post. You need your 11-digit MPRN, contractor details, dwelling type, year built, and either a Self-Declaration Form or a Technical Assessment. Accept the offer within 30 days.
- Finish the works within eight months of the offer and get a post-works BER (a €50 BER grant is available, per SEAI).
- Submit the Declaration of Works and Request for Payment, plus a Tax Clearance Certificate if you received more than €10,000 in grants in one calendar year. Payment usually takes 4 to 6 weeks.
A One Stop Shop can manage the whole job and deduct the grant from the price up front; compare that with applying yourself in One Stop Shop vs individual grants.
Worked example
Say your oil boiler is replaced by an air-to-water heat pump in a detached house, and you need a technical assessment. Using SEAI’s maximum figures, the grant side could reach €14,500. If the installed cost is, for example, €17,000 (an illustrative figure, not a quote; see heat pump costs in Ireland), you’d pay about €2,500 after grants, before any extra work. Whether a heat pump suits you depends on your home’s heat loss and running costs, covered in are heat pumps worth it.
What to check before you commit
Terms are still being finalised. Confirm on seai.ie that your home and heating system qualify, ask your contractor how the €2,000 is applied, and don’t remove your boiler before you have a Letter of Offer. This article is general information, not personal financial advice.
