As the colder weather comes in, now is the time to plan home energy upgrades before winter arrives. Here's what's involved, what grants are available for insulation, windows and doors and how a Greenify loan can cover the balance that the grants don't. For a full walkthrough, see the Greenify Guide.
What Is Greenify?
Greenify is a nationwide credit union initiative helping members fund home energy and transport upgrades. Loans are unsecured, available up to €100,000 over 10 years and open to both existing credit union members and non-members. All participating credit unions are regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.
Why Insulation Comes First
Before replacing a single window, check your insulation. SEAI's windows and doors grant requires good attic and wall insulation, confirmed either by a Good or Very Good rating on your BER Advisory Report or by a post-works Heat Loss Indicator of 2.3 W/K·m² or lower. If you don't have an Advisory Report, a BER assessor can carry out a pre-works assessment. For most older homes, insulation needs sorting first and it means every upgrade that follows will deliver more value.
Why These Upgrades Pay Off
- Lower heating bills as less heat escapes through your attic, walls and windows.
- A warmer, more comfortable home, with no cold rooms, draughts or condensation.
- Improved BER rating, supporting your home's resale and rental value.
Grants Available for Home Insulation
SEAI grants cover both attic and wall insulation, with amounts varying by house type. For a detached home: attic insulation up to €2,000 (€2,500 for first-time buyers and those on qualifying welfare payments), cavity wall €1,800, internal wall €4,500, external wall €8,000. Semi-detached, mid-terrace and apartment homes qualify for lower fixed amounts.
Your home must have been built and occupied before 2011 to qualify, with all external walls insulated as a whole surface solution.
Grants Available for Windows and Doors
Windows grants range from €1,500 for an apartment to €4,000 for a detached home, while external doors qualify for €800 each, up to two doors. You can claim for windows, doors, or both, so two external doors alone is a €1,600 claim.
A detached home replacing all its windows and two doors could receive up to €5,600 combined. The same pre-2011 rule applies and you must use an SEAI registered contractor.
Conditions Worth Knowing to Qualify for Grant
A few scheme rules catch people out and getting them wrong can cost you the grant:
- New windows must achieve a U-value of 1.4 W/m²K or lower, confirmed by you and your contractor on the declaration of works form.
- Grants cannot be backdated. Wait for your grant offer before starting any works.
- The grant is paid once per property. You don't have to replace every window, but you can't come back next year for the ones you skipped and your post-works Heat Loss Indicator must still meet the standard.
- A post-works BER is required after installation.
Windows, doors, attic and wall insulation can all be done as a single project, with SEAI processing the grant payments together once everything is complete. So, if your insulation needs sorting first, you don't have to wait until next year to do the glazing.
How Greenify Covers the Balance
On a full window and door replacement, the grant is a contribution rather than the bulk of the cost, so most upgrades leave a shortfall between the grant and the total bill.
There is also a timing gap. If you manage the upgrade yourself, SEAI pays only after works are complete and your post-works BER is submitted. A One Stop Shop deducts the grant upfront, but the shortfall remains.
A Greenify Green Home Energy Upgrade Loan, offered through your local credit union, solves both. Get quotes from at least two SEAI registered contractors, apply for your grants as normal, then borrow through Greenify to fund the whole project from day one rather than out of your own pocket while you wait.
No grant? You can still borrow. A Greenify loan doesn't depend on grant approval. If your home was built after 2011, if you've already claimed a wall insulation grant, or if you simply want to spec above the grant standard with triple glazing or a full-house upgrade, a Greenify Home Energy Upgrade Loan is still available to you.
Ready to make the switch? Find your local participating credit union, call 1800 911 797, or visit www.greenify.ie.
(Sources: SEAI Insulation Grants; SEAI Windows and Doors Grant)
Loans are subject to approval. Terms and conditions apply. Warning: The cost of your monthly repayments may increase. If you do not meet the repayments on your loan, your account will go into arrears. This may affect your credit rating, which may limit your ability to access credit in the future.
