A heat pump is the cleanest, most efficient way to heat an Irish home, and in 2026 it attracts one of the largest SEAI grants: up to €12,500. But it comes with one important condition: your home has to be ready for it. Here is what the grant is worth, what a heat pump costs to run, how it compares to oil and gas, and the step most people miss.
What is a heat pump?
A heat pump extracts warmth from the outside air (an air-to-water heat pump is the most common in Ireland) and uses it to heat your home and hot water. Instead of burning fuel, it moves heat, which is why it is so efficient: for every unit of electricity it uses, it delivers roughly three to four units of heat.
The SEAI heat pump grant (2026)
The big change this year: the air-to-water heat pump grant rose from €6,500 to up to €12,500, made up of three parts:
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Heat pump system | €6,500 |
| Central heating upgrade (radiators, pipework) | €2,000 |
| Renewable Heat Bonus | €4,000 |
| Total (up to) | €12,500 |
The one condition is readiness. A heat pump grant requires a technical (heat-loss) assessment, and your home generally needs a heat-loss indicator of 2.3 W/K·m² or lower, which in practice means it is well insulated first. See the full SEAI grant guide for how this fits with the insulation grants.
Why insulation comes before the heat pump
SEAI requires the heat-loss assessment precisely because the system needs a warm, well-sealed home to perform. Think of it in order:
If your home needs insulation to reach the standard, that is not a delay, it is what makes the heat pump worth installing at all. The usual order is attic insulation, then wall insulation, then airtightness, then the heat pump.
Heat pump vs oil and gas
| Heat pumpCleanest & most efficient | Gas boilerLower upfront | Oil boilerBeing phased down | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Efficiency | 300–400% (moves heat) | ~90% (burns fuel) | ~90% (burns fuel) |
| Carbon | Lowest, falls as grid greens | High | Highest |
| Best in | Well-insulated homes | Any home | Any home |
| SEAI grant | Up to €12,500 | Not grant-supported | Not grant-supported |
| Running cost | Low in an efficient home | Medium | Higher & volatile |
Because a heat pump multiplies energy rather than burning it, a well-insulated home can see genuinely lower running costs and far lower emissions. The saving depends entirely on how well your home holds heat, which brings us back to insulation first.
What does it cost, and what will you pay?
A heat pump is a bigger investment than a single insulation measure, and the up-to-€12,500 grant is correspondingly one of the largest. The real net cost depends on your home, the system, any radiator or pipework upgrades, and any insulation needed first. Use the estimator for an indicative figure on the fabric works, then we confirm the full picture at a free assessment.
Book a free assessment for your exact figure.
Is a heat pump right for your home?
It is an excellent choice if your home is, or can be made, well-insulated and reasonably airtight. For many homes that means doing attic and wall insulation first, then the heat pump, often bundled through the One Stop Shop so the grants are netted off together and the home reaches a B2 BER.
How the process works
The bottom line
A heat pump is the future of home heating in Ireland: efficient, low-carbon and, at up to €12,500, more grant-supported than ever. The single thing that decides whether it saves you money is how well your home holds heat, so insulation comes first.
If you are in Cork or across Munster, book a free home energy assessment and read our complete guide to SEAI grants to plan the whole upgrade.
