Ireland Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme: Your Guide to Low-Cost Retrofit Finance

Key Takeaways

• The scheme offers unsecured loans from a minimum of €5,000 up to €75,000 per property (August 2026).
• Loans are available with repayment terms ranging from 1 to 10 years (August 2026).
• Properties must achieve at least a 20% uplift in BER (Building Energy Rating) performance (August 2026).
• The scheme is available until 31 December 2026, or until funds are fully allocated (August 2026).

What is the Ireland Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme?

The Ireland Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme provides low-cost, government-backed finance for deep energy retrofits. It aims to help homeowners improve their property's energy performance. This scheme is supported by the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI), the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment (DCEE), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Investment Fund (EIF), and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).

The scheme offers unsecured loans starting from a minimum of €5,000 (August 2026). The maximum loan amount available is €75,000 per property (August 2026). These loans are designed to cover significant energy upgrade works.

How much can you borrow and for how long?

The Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme offers substantial financial support for your retrofit project. You can borrow from a minimum of €5,000 (August 2026). The maximum loan amount is €75,000 per property (August 2026).

For those with multiple properties, the scheme allows financing for up to a maximum of three properties (August 2026). The maximum aggregate loan across all properties for a single borrower is €225,000 (August 2026).

Repayment terms for these loans are flexible, ranging from a minimum of 1 to 10 years (August 2026). This allows you to choose a repayment schedule that aligns with your financial situation.

What are the eligibility requirements for your property and project?

To qualify for the Home Energy Upgrade Loan, your property and planned works must meet specific criteria.

Property Eligibility: Your property must be a residential dwelling located in the Republic of Ireland. It cannot be used for commercial purposes, as a holiday home, or for short-term lettings in the preceding 12 months (August 2026).

Energy Performance Uplift: A core requirement is that the upgrade works must uplift the energy performance of the property by at least 20% compared to its existing BER (Building Energy Rating) (August 2026). This ensures that the loan supports meaningful energy efficiency improvements.

Spend Allocation: At least 75% of the loan amount (as calculated at the time of the loan) must be spent on energy upgrade works, net of any SEAI grants received (August 2026). This ensures the primary focus remains on energy efficiency.

Project Management: All upgrade works must be managed and delivered through an SEAI Registered One Stop Shop or Project Co-ordinator (August 2026). This ensures quality and compliance with scheme standards.

Mandatory Report: Your application requires a "Home Energy Summary Report" (August 2026). This report must be signed by an SEAI Registered One Stop Shop or Community Project Co-ordinator (August 2026).

Can you finance solar PV with this loan?

Standalone solar PV installation is not eligible for financing on its own under this scheme (August 2026). The loan is primarily designed for deeper, whole-home retrofit packages that significantly improve a property's BER.

However, there is flexibility. Borrowers have the option to spend up to 25% of the loan amount (as calculated at the time of the loan) on non-energy related works or non-eligible home upgrades (August 2026). This can include solar PV panels if installed under the Better Energy Homes Scheme (August 2026). This means solar PV can be a component of a larger retrofit project, but not the sole focus of the loan.

For more details on solar PV support, you might consult our guides on Ireland's Microgeneration Support Scheme or VAT zero-rating for solar panels.

How do you apply for the Home Energy Upgrade Loan?

The Home Energy Upgrade Loan is available through a network of participating lending partners. These include major banks such as AIB, Bank of Ireland, and PTSB (August 2026). An Post Money (in partnership with Avant Money) also offers the loan (August 2026). Additionally, several participating credit unions provide access to the scheme, including Clonmel, Connect, First South, Listowel, Naomh Breandan, North Midlands, and Progressive (August 2026).

To apply, you will need a "Home Energy Summary Report" (August 2026). This report must be signed by an SEAI Registered One Stop Shop or Community Project Co-ordinator (August 2026). These intermediaries will guide you through the process and ensure your project meets the scheme's requirements.

The scheme is available for loans up to 31 December 2026 (August 2026), unless the allocated funds are fully utilized before this date.

What are the financial terms and security?

A key feature of the Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme is that it is an unsecured personal loan. This means no security or personal guarantee is required (August 2026). There is no charge taken over your property (August 2026).

While the scheme provides a framework for low-cost finance, interest rates can vary. These rates are set by the individual participating lending institutions (August 2026). It is advisable to compare offers from different lenders to find the most suitable terms for your project.

How we verified this information

We checked the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) website on 23 August 2026. All figures and scheme provisions in this article are sourced directly from the official SBCI Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme page.

Further Resources for Irish Homeowners

For businesses considering microgeneration, our guide on the SEAI Non-Domestic Microgeneration Grant offers relevant information. If you are exploring solar solutions, you may also find our solar sizing tool useful for estimating your needs.