Free solar for energy-poor homes under reported €200m government plan

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According to a report published in July by the Irish Examiner newspaper, energy minister Darragh O'Brien is expected to bring a menu of options to government aimed at easing energy costs through deeper and faster uptake of home energy upgrades. The measures, which would be administered by SEAI, are understood to carry a total cost in the region of €200m in a full calendar year.

The most eye-catching proposal would see solar panels included as standard in the Warmer Homes scheme, which delivers fully funded energy upgrades to homeowners on qualifying welfare payments. A related measure would offer grants of up to €9,000 for solar PV and battery storage to households on qualifying payments, with estimated savings of up to €878 a year for suitable homes.

Significantly for the private rented sector – long the poor relation of Ireland's retrofit programme – a pilot scheme is proposed for landlords with HAP and rental accommodation scheme tenancies, funding attic and cavity wall insulation. Grants for battery storage, enabling homes to use cheaper off-peak electricity, are also reportedly on the table, along with temporarily increased supports for businesses installing solar PV, heat pumps and solar thermal.

Neither SEAI nor the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment would confirm the measures. SEAI told Passive House Plus it could not provide information as "there has not been an announcement on new measures or grant enhancements".

A department spokesperson said the National Energy Affordability Taskforce, chaired by Minister O'Brien, is "working intensively" on an Energy Affordability Action Plan, due for completion in Q3, focused on short-term, medium-term and longer-term measures – including targeted measures – to support households and businesses with energy costs. This includes "examining how to support increased uptake of home energy efficiency upgrades, in particular for lower-income households at risk of energy poverty", and continued development of SEAI retrofit schemes, the spokesperson said, adding that all SEAI schemes are kept under review.

The proposals land amid fresh price hikes and any package is likely to face scrutiny from the Department of Public Expenditure, and would feed into supports for Budget 2027 in October.