Heat pump articles
Advice centre
Heat pumps & grants
Whether a heat pump suits your house, the SEAI grants, and the Technical Assessment.
7 articles, each with the date it was last updated.
Can a heat pump work with my existing radiators?
Often, yes. A heat pump runs at a lower water temperature than a boiler, so each radiator gives out less heat. Rooms where the radiator is generously sized usually keep theirs; smaller radiators in colder rooms may need to be swapped for larger ones. SEAI grant support covers up to €2,000 of central heating upgrades like this.
C. Kenneally · Oct 2026Heat pump or a new oil boiler?
If the house is reasonably well insulated, a heat pump is usually worth pricing alongside a new oil boiler: there is a substantial SEAI grant for heat pumps and none for a like-for-like oil boiler, and running costs are often lower. If the house is poorly insulated and you cannot do the fabric upgrades yet, a new oil boiler can still be the sensible choice for now.
C. Kenneally · Oct 2026How do SEAI heat pump grants work?
You apply to SEAI and get approval before work starts, an SEAI registered contractor does the work, a BER is done afterwards, and SEAI pays the grant. As at October 2026 the maximum is €14,500 for houses and €11,500 for apartments.
C. Kenneally · Oct 2026Is a heat pump right for my house?
It is right for a house that keeps its heat reasonably well and has radiators or underfloor heating that can warm the rooms at a lower water temperature. Many houses are, some need insulation first, and a few are not worth doing.
C. Kenneally · Oct 2026Is there a grant for a new gas or oil boiler?
Not for a straight like-for-like gas or oil boiler swap, as SEAI grants stand in October 2026. Heating controls (€700, homes built and occupied before 2011) and heat pumps (up to €14,500 for a house, €11,500 for an apartment) are grant-aided.
C. Kenneally · Oct 2026The €2,000 boiler scrappage scheme explained
It is up to €2,000 of extra SEAI support for homes that replace a fossil-fuel boiler — oil, gas or solid fuel — with a heat pump. It applies from 6 October 2026 and brings the maximum heat pump support for a house to €14,500 (€11,500 for an apartment). It does not apply to swapping one gas or oil boiler for another.
C. Kenneally · Oct 2026What is an SEAI Technical Assessment?
It is an assessment of whether your home is efficient enough for a heat pump to work well. SEAI requires one for the heat pump grant on homes built before 2007, unless a valid BER already shows a Heat Loss Indicator of 2.3 or lower. SEAI contributes €200 towards the cost.
C. Kenneally · Oct 2026
Need help identifying the problem?
Send a photo of the boiler, the system or the problem. Christy will tell you what is involved and what it will cost.
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