The SEAI Solar Electricity Grant (up to €1,800) and the SEAI Heat Pump Grant (up to €14,500 for qualifying homes) are separate schemes with separate applications. Claiming one does not affect the other. Below is how the two processes fit together, what the combined costs look like, and where the timelines overlap.
A €2,000 fossil fuel boiler scrappage grant was announced on 29 September 2026 and is effective immediately for houses built before 2021 that are replacing an oil, gas, solid fuel or electric storage heating system. It is added automatically to heat pump grant applications already in progress. SEAI's grant values table has since caught up: €14,500 for a house, €11,500 for an apartment, built from a unit grant of up to €10,500, up to €2,000 central heating and the €2,000 scrappage grant. The separate €4,000 Renewable Heat Bonus is gone from that page. Figures below are on the new structure. Full detail: SEAI grant changes, October 2026.
Can You Claim Both SEAI Grants on the Same Home?
Yes. SEAI runs the Solar Electricity Grant and the Heat Pump Grant as entirely separate schemes, each with its own eligibility rules, its own application (solar on mgen.seai.ie, heat pumps through the Better Energy Homes portal at hes.seai.ie), and its own Letter of Offer. Claiming one has no bearing on your eligibility for the other. Both grants require a post-works BER. Before you apply for the heat pump grant, a home built before 2007 needs a Technical Assessment of its heat loss, unless a valid BER already shows a Heat Loss Indicator of 2.3 or lower; a home built from 2007 signs a Self-Declaration Form instead. The two processes do not interact.
The combined grant value before scrappage is up to €14,300 on a typical 3-bed semi-D (€1,800 solar + up to €10,500 heat pump unit + up to €2,000 central heating). If you are removing an oil or gas heating system, the €2,000 boiler scrappage grant brings the total heat pump support to €14,500 and the combined grant stack to €16,300.
The Full Cost Stack — Worked Example
A 3-bed 1990s semi-D replacing an oil boiler with an air-to-water heat pump and adding 4 kWp solar PV at the same time. Supply and installation costs are indicative mid-market figures for 2026.
| Item | Gross cost | SEAI grant | Net cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 kW air-to-water heat pump (supply + install) | €14,000 | €10,500 | €3,500 |
| Central heating works (new radiators or underfloor heating, where the design needs them) | €2,000 | €2,000 | €0 |
| 4 kWp solar PV (supply + install) | €8,000 | €1,800 | €6,200 |
| Post-works BER assessment (mandatory for solar grant) | €200 | — | €200 |
| Total | €24,200 | €14,300 | €9,900 |
The example above excludes the €2,000 boiler scrappage grant, live since 29 September 2026 for houses built before 2021. Where the old oil or gas boiler, solid fuel system or electric storage heating is being removed, it brings the total heat pump support to €14,500 and the combined grant stack to €16,300, cutting the net outlay to €7,900. There is no separate application; it is assessed inside the heat pump grant at seai.ie.
Annual Running-Cost Benefit
A heat pump runs on electricity. Solar panels generate electricity. For a portion of the day — especially the morning heating run in spring and autumn — the heat pump draws on free solar generation rather than grid electricity. The numbers for each upgrade are reasonable on their own; combined, they compound.
- Heat pump replacing oil heating: reduces fuel costs by approximately €800–€1,400 per year on a 3-bed semi-D, depending on insulation levels, occupancy, and current oil price. Homes with poor insulation get a lower saving until insulation is addressed.
- 4 kWp solar PV: offsets approximately €700–€1,200 per year in electricity costs at typical Irish yields, including the electricity consumed by the heat pump during daylight hours and the Clean Export Guarantee income on surplus generation. The upper end assumes high self-consumption driven by the heat pump running during daylight hours.
- Combined annual saving: roughly €1,500–€2,600 per year for a typical 3-bed semi-D, depending on usage, tariff, roof orientation, insulation quality, and how much of the solar generation coincides with heat pump operation. These are estimates — actual savings will vary.
At the lower end of the saving range (€1,500/year), the net outlay of €9,900 gives a payback of about 6–7 years. At the upper end (€2,600/year), payback is closer to 4 years. Homes claiming the €2,000 scrappage grant as well bring the net cost to €7,900, shortening payback further. These are indicative figures based on current electricity and oil prices.
The Two Grant Applications — What Each Requires
The applications run independently. The heat pump grant has more front-end steps — start that process first while getting solar quotes in parallel.
SEAI Solar Electricity Grant
- Applied for on the SEAI portal once you have a signed contract with an SEAI-registered solar installer
- SEAI issues a Letter of Offer; work starts after that
- After installation, a post-works BER assessment is required before the Declaration of Works can be submitted
- Grant paid to your bank account within 4–6 weeks of the Declaration of Works being submitted
- Works must be completed within 8 months of the Letter of Offer
- Full steps: SEAI solar grant application guide
SEAI Heat Pump Grant
- Homes built before 2007 need a Technical Assessment of heat loss before you apply (a €200 grant is available for it), unless a valid BER shows a Heat Loss Indicator of 2.3 W/(K.m²) or lower; homes built from 2007 sign a Self-Declaration Form instead
- Requires a post-works BER assessment before the grant is paid
- You apply yourself online through the Better Energy Homes portal using an SEAI-registered contractor, or a One Stop Shop applies and manages it for you
- The heat pump contractor must be SEAI-registered; the same contractor usually manages the TA visit
- The scrappage component is assessed from the installation design, with no separate application
- More information: SEAI Heat Pump Grant page (seai.ie)
Running Both Applications in Parallel
Start the heat pump grant process first. If your home was built before 2007, the Technical Assessment has to be done before you apply, and that alone can take a few weeks to arrange. While you are waiting on that, get your solar quotes in. If the heat pump installer and solar installer can line up their install dates, one BER assessor visit covers the post-works requirement for both grants — which saves you the cost and time of a second visit.
| Stage | Solar grant | Heat pump grant |
|---|---|---|
| Get contractor quotes | Week 1–2 | Week 1–2 |
| Technical Assessment (TA) | Not required | Before you apply, for homes built before 2007 (unless a valid BER shows HLI 2.3 or lower) |
| Self-Declaration Form | Not required | Instead of a TA, for homes built from 2007 |
| Grant application (you apply online) | Once you have chosen an SEAI-registered company | After the TA or self-declaration |
| Letter of Offer issued by SEAI | By email after you apply | Usually minutes online; about 5 working days by post |
| Installation on-site | 1–3 days | 3–5 days typically |
| Post-works BER assessment | Required | Required |
| Declaration of Works submitted | After post-works BER | After post-works BER |
| Grant paid to homeowner | 4–6 weeks after Declaration | 4–6 weeks after Declaration |
Combined timeline: from first quote to all grants paid is typically 4–6 months when both processes run in parallel. The heat pump pre-works steps add approximately 2–4 weeks compared to solar alone.
The One-Stop-Shop Pathway
If you are adding insulation on top of the heat pump and solar, the SEAI One-Stop-Shop (OSS) route is worth getting a quote for. An SEAI-registered OSS contractor handles the grant applications and technical assessments across all upgrades — one point of contact instead of co-ordinating separately between a solar installer, a heat pump contractor, and an insulation company. The underlying grant applications are still separate, but you deal with one firm.
The OSS pathway can also offer a higher grant value in some cases compared to applying for individual grants directly. Get an OSS quote alongside your individual quotes and compare. More information: SEAI One-Stop-Shop programme (seai.ie).
Heat Pump Grant Value in 2026
The SEAI heat pump grant in 2026 covers supply and installation of an eligible heat pump system, plus associated heating system upgrades. The amounts are:
- Heat pump unit grant: up to €10,500 — air-to-water, ground-source, exhaust-air-to-water or water-to-water (air-to-air systems are capped at €9,500 in total)
- Heating system upgrade grant: up to €2,000 — covers new radiators or underfloor heating where the heat pump design needs them
- Boiler scrappage grant: €2,000 — additional, if removing oil, gas, solid fuel or electric storage heating
- Maximum total heat pump support: €14,500
The solar grant in 2026 is up to €1,800 for a qualifying residential solar PV installation. See the SEAI solar grant guide for the full grant tier breakdown by system size.
For VAT treatment: residential solar PV has been zero-rated for VAT since May 2023. Since 1 January 2025, the supply and installation of a heat pump heating system is charged at the second reduced rate of VAT, 9%. There is no zero rate for heat pumps. Check revenue.ie for the current position, as VAT treatment of energy upgrades can be affected by Budget changes. See the 0% VAT and grant stacking guide for detail on how the solar VAT relief interacts with the grants.
Solar Quotes Ireland matches you with SEAI-registered solar PV installers covering your county. Submit one form, get your quotes. No fee, no obligation.
Note: installers in the Solar Quotes Ireland network quote for solar PV. For heat pump grant work you will need a separate SEAI-registered heat pump contractor. Your solar installer may be able to recommend one, or you can search the SEAI registered contractor list at seai.ie.
Get a Solar Quote →Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The SEAI Solar Electricity Grant (up to €1,800) and the SEAI Heat Pump Grant (up to €14,500, comprising up to €10,500 unit + up to €2,000 central heating + €2,000 boiler scrappage for qualifying homes) are separate schemes with separate applications. You can claim both on the same property in the same year, as long as each installation meets its own eligibility requirements. The combined grant value on a typical 3-bed semi-D doing both is up to €14,300 before scrappage. If the €2,000 boiler scrappage grant applies, the total combined grant support rises to €16,300.
The SEAI heat pump grant is up to €14,500 in total for a qualifying house and €11,500 for an apartment: up to €10,500 for the heat pump unit, up to €2,000 for central heating works (new radiators or underfloor heating) where the design requires them, and a €2,000 boiler scrappage grant if you are removing oil, gas, solid fuel or electric storage heating. These grants are in addition to the solar grant and are applied for separately through the SEAI portal.
Yes — they are one of the most commonly co-installed combinations in Irish retrofits. A heat pump runs on electricity, and solar panels generate electricity during daylight hours. Pairing them means the heat pump draws on free solar generation for a portion of the day, reducing its electricity running cost. In summer, a 4 kWp solar system can cover a meaningful share of the heat pump's daily electricity use. In winter the solar contribution is smaller but not zero — panels still generate on bright overcast days.
Yes. Each grant has its own application: solar on mgen.seai.ie, heat pumps through the Better Energy Homes portal at hes.seai.ie. You apply for the solar grant and the heat pump grant separately, each with its own Letter of Offer, its own contractor requirements, and its own Declaration of Works. The One-Stop-Shop pathway can co-ordinate multiple grants with a single point of contact, which some homeowners doing a full retrofit find simpler — but the underlying grant applications remain separate.
The SEAI One-Stop-Shop pathway lets homeowners doing deep energy retrofits apply through an SEAI-registered OSS contractor, who manages the grant applications and technical assessments on their behalf. This is available for homes doing multiple upgrades such as heat pump, insulation, and solar PV together. The OSS pathway can also offer a higher grant value in some cases — worth getting a quote for if you are doing both heat pump and solar at the same time. More information at seai.ie One-Stop-Shop.
Sources: SEAI Solar Electricity Grant scheme guide (seai.ie); SEAI Heat Pump Grant page (seai.ie); SEAI One-Stop-Shop programme (seai.ie).
Published: 19 May 2026. Updated: 7 October 2026 (heat pump grant values and process re-read on seai.ie; heat pump VAT per revenue.ie). Author: Neil Russell.