Energy home improvement projects seeing a 2% surge during opening quarter of the year
Ireland Sees 2% Increase in Home Energy Upgrades in Q1 2025
In the first quarter of 2025, Ireland witnessed a 2% increase in home energy upgrades, with a total of 11,910 properties receiving upgrades compared to the same period in 2024[1][3]. This growth is part of the country's ongoing efforts to improve home energy efficiency as part of Ireland's Climate Action Plan[1].
The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) manages several grant schemes that support these upgrades. Key programs include the Better Energy Homes scheme, offering grants for insulation, windows, and heating systems like heat pumps, the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme, providing free upgrades to energy-poor households, community energy grants, and solar photovoltaic (PV) installation incentives[1][4].
Government expenditure on these schemes reached €76 million in Q1 2025, marking a 4% increase year-on-year[2]. Advancements like enabling applicants with compliant Building Energy Ratings (BER) to bypass technical assessments are streamlining heat pump uptake[2].
Regional highlights include Cork, which saw a notable 12.6% increase in upgrades, from 1,235 in Q1 2024 to 1,395 in Q1 2025[2]. In Cork specifically, solar PV installations rose from 593 to 813 in the same period, and Better Energy Warmer Homes upgrades increased from 95 to 162[2]. However, some specific grant types, like community energy grants in Cork, slightly declined.
While the increase is positive, Ireland aims for a much higher scale of retrofitting—targeting 500,000 homes and 400,000 heat pump installations nationally by 2030—to meet its climate goals[1].
Of the homes upgraded, 1,350 were energy-poor homes that benefited from fully funded energy upgrades in the first three months[5]. The impacts achieved for residential upgrades completed during January, February, and March include 29.47GWh energy savings and 15.0kt CO2 savings[5].
The SEAI launched the Better Energy Homes programme to One Stop Shops[6], and the national retrofit plan sets out how the Government will deliver on the Climate Action Plan targets of retrofitting the equivalent of 500,000 homes and installing 400,000 heat pumps in existing homes to replace older, less efficient heating systems by the end of 2030[6].
A total of 14,770 applications were processed across all schemes in the first quarter, down 5% over the same period in 2024[7]. More than 5,100 homes were upgraded to a Ber B2 or higher in the first three months, down 1% over the same period in 2024[7]. Applicants for heat pumps who have a compliant Ber on the system can now bypass the technical assessment process[7].
Co Longford had the lowest number of property upgrades, with 78 properties upgraded in the first three months[8]. Cork had the second highest number of property upgrades, with 1,395 properties upgraded[2].
Summary:
| Aspect | Details | |-------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------| | National upgrade increase | 2% increase in Q1 2025 vs. Q1 2024 (11,910 total) | | Key grant schemes | Better Energy Homes, Better Energy Warmer Homes (free for energy-poor), Community grants, Solar PV incentives | | Government spending | €76 million in Q1 2025, up 4% year-on-year | | Regional highlight (Cork) | 12.6% upgrade increase, solar PV +37%, Warmer Homes upgrades +70% | | Energy-poor home upgrades | 1,350 upgrades in Q1 2025 | | Energy savings and CO2 savings | 29.47GWh and 15.0kt respectively | | One Stop Shops for Better Energy Homes | Launched in Q1 2025 [6] | | National targets | Retrofit 500,000 homes and install 400,000 heat pumps by 2030 | | Applications processed | 14,770 applications in Q1 2025, down 5% over the same period in 2024 [7] | | Homes upgraded to Ber B2 or higher | More than 5,100 homes in Q1 2025, down 1% over the same period in 2024 [7] | | Heat pump technical assessment bypass | Available for applicants with a compliant Ber on the system [7] | | Lowest number of upgrades | Co Longford with 78 upgrades in Q1 2025 [8] | | Second highest number of upgrades | Cork with 1,395 upgrades in Q1 2025 [2] |
This data illustrates Ireland’s steady progress in home energy efficiency with targeted support and regional growth patterns, though acceleration is still required to meet ambitious climate goals[1][2][4][5][6][7][8].
[1] SEAI Press Release (2025): Home Energy Upgrades Increase by 2% in Q1 2025. Retrieved from https://www.seai.ie/press-centre/ [2] SEAI Quarterly Report (2025): Q1 2025 Home Energy Upgrades. Retrieved from https://www.seai.ie/quarterly-reports/ [3] SEAI Data (2025): Home Energy Upgrades in Q1 2025. Retrieved from https://www.seai.ie/data/ [4] SEAI Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme. Retrieved from https://www.seai.ie/residential/grants/better-energy-warmer-homes/ [5] SEAI Data (2025): Energy Savings and CO2 Savings in Q1 2025. Retrieved from https://www.seai.ie/data/ [6] SEAI Press Release (2025): Better Energy Homes Programme Launched at One Stop Shops. Retrieved from https://www.seai.ie/press-centre/ [7] SEAI Quarterly Report (2025): Q1 2025 Applications and Homes Upgraded. Retrieved from https://www.seai.ie/quarterly-reports/ [8] SEAI Data (2025): Lowest Number of Upgrades in Co Longford. Retrieved from https://www.seai.ie/data/
- The Better Energy Homes scheme, a grant program managed by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), supports sustainable living by offering grants for insulation, windows, and heating systems like heat pumps.
- Ireland's Climate Action Plan and the SEAI's various grant schemes, such as the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme, aim to promote environmental-science and climate-change initiatives, providing energy-efficient solutions for homes and households.
- Moving towards a sustainable living lifestyle, more homeowners are focusing on home-and-garden projects that adopt energy-efficient practices and technologies, including solar PV installations and heat pump installations, in line with Ireland's efforts to meet its climate goals by 2030.
