Heating oil grants in Ireland: what help is there?
There is no grant for a new oil boiler. There is help with heating costs, grants that make each delivery last longer, and a £100 oil voucher in Northern Ireland. Amounts and eligibility were checked against the official pages on 7 October 2026.
Updated
Is there a grant for an oil boiler?
No. Citizens Information says SEAI's Better Energy Homes grants do not cover replacing an oil or gas boiler. Since 1 January 2025 the Warmer Homes Scheme has not fitted new fossil-fuel boilers either. SEAI will pay towards better controls for the boiler you have, or towards replacing it with a heat pump.
Help with the cost of heating
Department of Social Protection payments, Republic of Ireland only.
Fuel Allowance
- How much
- €38 a week now, €43 a week from January 2027
- Who qualifies
- People aged 66 or over who pass a means test, and people under 66 who get a qualifying social welfare payment. One payment per household.
Paid for 28 weeks from late September to April, weekly or in two lump sums. It is a cash payment, so it can go on heating oil. A late claim normally starts from the date it is received; the Department backdates only for good cause or extenuating circumstances.
Read more: Fuel Allowance 2026/27: €43 a week from January
Source: Citizens Information: Fuel Allowance; Department of Social Protection, Budget 2027 social protection package, 6 October 2026
Additional Needs Payment
- How much
- No set rate. It depends on your income, expenses and what you need.
- Who qualifies
- Anyone living in Ireland with an essential expense they cannot pay from weekly income or savings. You do not have to be on a social welfare payment, and people working on a low income can apply.
The Department of Social Protection lists the increased cost of heating as one of the expenses it can help with. A Community Welfare Officer decides each claim. Apply on MyWelfare.ie or at an Intreo Centre or Branch Office.
Source: Department of Social Protection: Additional Needs Payment
Household Benefits Package
- How much
- €1.15 a day towards electricity or gas, plus a free TV licence
- Who qualifies
- Everyone aged 70 or over, with no means test. People under 70 can qualify if they get certain payments, such as Disability Allowance or Carer's Allowance.
It does not pay for heating oil. Only one person per household can get it.
Grants to use less oil or switch
SEAI schemes. The grant must be approved before any work starts.
Warmer Homes Scheme (free upgrades)
- How much
- Free insulation and other upgrades, with solar panels and a battery from 6 October 2026
- Who qualifies
- Homeowners living in a home built and occupied before 2006, with a BER of C, D, E or F, who get Fuel Allowance, Working Family Payment, One-Parent Family Payment, Domiciliary Care Allowance, Carer's Allowance (living with the person cared for), or Jobseeker's Allowance or Disability Allowance for over six months with a child under seven.
SEAI's contractor surveys the home and recommends work, most often attic and wall insulation. Since 1 January 2025 the scheme does not fit a new oil or gas boiler. Citizens Information says the process usually takes 24 to 26 months.
Source: SEAI: Warmer Homes Scheme; Citizens Information: Warmer Homes Scheme
SEAI insulation and heating controls grants
- How much
- Attic insulation €1,100 to €2,000 (up to €2,500 for some welfare recipients), wall insulation up to €8,000, heating controls €700
- Who qualifies
- The attic insulation and heating controls grants are for homes built and occupied before 2011.
The heating controls grant fits better controls to the oil boiler you already have. You cannot claim it alongside a heat pump grant.
Source: SEAI: individual energy grants; SEAI: attic insulation grant; SEAI: heating controls grant
SEAI heat pump grant, with boiler scrappage
- How much
- Up to €14,500 for a house and €11,500 for an apartment (water-based systems), including a €2,000 boiler scrappage grant
- Who qualifies
- Owners of homes built and occupied before 2021. Homes built before 2007 usually need a €200 technical assessment of heat loss first.
The bundle is up to €10,500 for the heat pump, up to €2,000 for radiators or other central-heating work, and €2,000 for removing an oil or gas boiler. SEAI announced the boiler scrappage grant on 29 September 2026. The grant cannot be more than the cost of the work.
Read more: What oil-heated homes should check before a heat pump
Source: SEAI: heat pump system grant; SEAI: enhanced grants announcement, 29 September 2026
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland: Home Heating Oil Support Scheme
- How much
- A £100 voucher to spend with any Northern Ireland oil supplier
- Who qualifies
- Households in Northern Ireland that heat mainly with oil and, in April or November 2026, got a qualifying benefit or had an income under £30,000 a year after allowable deductions. One voucher per address.
Applications are open from 9 September 2026 to 31 March 2027.
Source: Department for Communities: Home Heating Oil Support Scheme
Cutting your oil costs
Grants take time. For the next delivery:
- Using less heating oil without making your home miserable
- Should I buy heating oil now or wait?
- Recent heating oil prices in your county. The oil supplier confirms the delivered total.
- Budget 2027 cut the carbon tax on kerosene: what the cut takes off a fill.
Common questions
Is there a grant for a new oil boiler in Ireland?
No. Citizens Information says the SEAI Better Energy Homes scheme does not cover replacing an oil or gas boiler, and the Warmer Homes Scheme has not fitted new fossil-fuel boilers since 1 January 2025. SEAI does pay €700 towards better heating controls for an existing boiler.
Is there help with heating oil costs in Ireland?
Yes. Fuel Allowance is €38 a week and rises to €43 in January 2027. If you cannot afford heating, you can ask a Community Welfare Officer for an Additional Needs Payment, even if you are not on social welfare.
How much is the heat pump grant for an oil-heated home?
Up to €14,500 for a water-based heat pump in a house, or €11,500 in an apartment. That includes a €2,000 boiler scrappage grant for removing the oil boiler. The home must have been built and occupied before 2021.
Does the Household Benefits Package pay for heating oil?
No. It pays €1.15 a day towards electricity or gas, plus a free TV licence.
Is there a heating oil grant in Northern Ireland?
Yes. The Home Heating Oil Support Scheme gives eligible households a £100 voucher for oil. Applications close on 31 March 2027.