Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 April 2026
283. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment whether his Department or the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland intends to undertake a public information campaign on best practice for households using air-to-water heat pumps; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29712/26]
View answerThe National Residential Retrofit Plan and new and enhanced measures announced in January 2026 have made retrofitting supports more accessible to households, such as by allowing homeowners to access windows and doors grants as part of individual measures and offering increased grant rates for insulation and heat pumps.
The Heat Pump System grant has been increased for a maximum total grant value of up to €12,500 and a grant of €6,500 is also available for replacement of an existing older heat pump where the eligibility criteria are met. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) also have three SEAI heat pump pilot schemes underway, to evaluate system performance, energy use, indoor comfort levels and heating patterns.
The SEAI has a dedicated budget to run focused marketing, communications and education campaigns. Since 2021, these comprise a combination of broad-based national awareness and more focussed campaigns targeting either specific audiences or technologies/grants through advertising, web and social media content, and educational material.
Every year these campaign activities direct people to the SEAI website where there is a host of resources to explain best use practices for heat pumps, including:
• What are heat pumps? (with subtitles) (www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpBK0HkU8yY)
• Heat Pumps | Home Energy Upgrades | SEAI www.seai.ie/plan-your-energy-journey/for-your-home/guide-to-upgrades/heat-pumps
The SEAI also participate in national and local events such as the Ideal Homes Show and the Ploughing Championship providing expertise on heat pumps to attendees.
The public helpline operated by the SEAI is also on hand to address queries related to best practices for heat pumps: www.seai.ie/about/contact-us.
These actions are paying off. Capital expenditure of over €1.7 billion has delivered over 257,500 home energy upgrades from 2019 to end Q1 2026. In the first quarter of 2026, the SEAI reported an almost 19% year-on-year increase in heat pump installations.
In 2026, a budget allocation of €640m has been provided for the SEAI residential and community schemes, targeting over 73,000 home energy upgrades, including 4,924 heat pumps.
