The Current #009: Free Solar Panels Considered for Eligible Homes
Shamrock Electrical
The Government is weighing a menu of options to help with energy costs, including free solar panels for some households. Nothing is confirmed yet, so here is exactly what is being proposed, why Ireland's heavy reliance on imported energy makes bills feel every global swing, and some low-cost ways to keep your home secure while you are away this summer.
Free solar panels? Here is what is being proposed
Energy minister Darragh O'Brien is expected to bring a menu of options to Cabinet in the coming weeks to help households and businesses with energy costs. Nothing has been approved yet, but here is what is on the table, according to the Irish Examiner:
- Solar panels as standard under the SEAI Warm Home Scheme, which already gives free energy upgrades to homeowners getting fuel allowance, working family payment, jobseeker's allowance, disability allowance, domiciliary care allowance, one-parent family payment, or carer's allowance.
- Grants of up to €9,000 for solar panels and battery storage for households on those payments, with estimated savings of up to €878 a year for homes that qualify.
- A new pilot scheme for landlords letting to HAP and Rental Accommodation Scheme tenants.
None of this is live yet, and there is nothing to apply for today. If you already qualify for the Warm Home Scheme on one of those payments, it is worth applying now regardless, since the existing scheme is open and running. If you do not qualify, the standard solar PV and battery grant, with 0 percent VAT applied automatically, remains open to every homeowner.
Why this matters: Ireland imports 78 percent of its energy
A new SEAI report shows Ireland still imports over 78 percent of the energy we use, well above the EU average of 57.3 percent. That is why global price swings land so directly on Irish bills. It is also the real argument for insulation, solar and simply using less: every euro spent making a home efficient is a euro less exposed to a price you cannot control.
- Efficiency measures (insulation, solar, LED, smart timers) reduce how much of your bill tracks a price you cannot control.
- The SEAI grants we have covered in past issues (attic and wall insulation, heat pump, solar and battery) are the mechanism to do this without paying full price upfront.
Away this summer? Keep your home secure without spending much
Heading off on holidays? A few small things protect the house and keep bills sane while you are gone:
- Switch non-essential appliances off at the socket rather than leaving them on standby: TVs, consoles, chargers.
- Fit an outdoor LED floodlight with a dusk-to-dawn or motion sensor. It switches on only when needed, deters anyone casing the house, and costs very little to run.
- Check outdoor lights and sockets for cracked casing or frayed cable before you go. A wet summer is hard on anything left outside.
- Leave one or two lights on a timer indoors so the house looks lived in, without leaving them burning the whole time you are away.
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Review us on TrustpilotAbout Shamrock Electrical Supplies
Shamrock Electrical Supplies is an electrical retailer and wholesaler based in Greenogue Business Park, Rathcoole, Co. Dublin. We supply homeowners and professional contractors across Ireland, with free delivery from the first euro.
Find Us
Shamrock Electrical Supplies
Unit 22, Block 613, Jordanstown Road
Greenogue Business Park
Rathcoole, Co. Dublin, D24 TX98
Opening Hours
Monday to Friday: 7am to 5pm
Saturday: 9am to 1pm
Sunday: Closed