Insulation Grants NI: A Complete Guide (2024)

According to a study by Ulster University, up to 17% of Northern Irish households completely lack any sort of wall insulation measure. This is detrimental, considering that uninsulated walls alone are responsible for up to one-third of home heat loss, leading to soaring energy bills, an uncomfortable home environment, and a huge carbon footprint. 

Luckily, home insulation is one of the most successful and effective means of slashing annual energy bills, improving home environments, and reducing domestic carbon footprints. While appealing, not every household has the financial means to afford these measures. 

That’s where insulation grants come in. In Northern Ireland, initiatives like NISEP and the AWS assist low-income, fuel-poor, and energy-inefficient households with full and partial cost courage of thermal insulation measures, in a bid to improve the overall housing stock. 

This complete guide by GreenMatch UK will walk you through all you need when applying for an insulation grant in Northern Ireland, complete with qualification criteria, provisions, and how to apply. 

Ready to insulate your home? Look no further than GreenMatch UK for a one-stop solution to all your needs. Instead of spending endless hours researching and vetting installers, just spend 30 seconds filling out our intake form, and receive up to 3 free home-tailored quotes from installers in our pre-vetted network. Completely free of charge and obligations. Click the button below to begin! 

There are several grant schemes available in Northern Ireland to help low-income, fuel-poor, and energy-inefficient homes with domestic insulation and heating improvements. 

Here’s a breakdown of the two main grant providers throughout Northern Ireland: 

In the case of the NISEP scheme, there are even avenues for middle-income households to receive assistance with energy improvements, even if they aren’t classed as low-income. These packages are administered as part of the Energy Efficiency Plus Cashback initiative. 

The main grant scheme in Northern Ireland that offers insulation upgrades for qualifying homes is the Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme (NISEP). This umbrella scheme can be understood as equivalent to the Energy Company Obligation (ECO4). 

The NISEP operates as a collective fund comprising financial contributions from Northern Ireland's electricity customers through a Public Service Obligation (PSO), sort of like a tax. This fund totals around £8 million and is distributed amongst fuel-poor and financially vulnerable homes to improve their energy efficiency through upgrades such as wall insulation.

To apply for any NISEP-delivered scheme, visit the Energy Saving Trust UK website and download the brochure on all the schemes offered by NISEP.

Once you find a scheme that suits your needs, contact the scheme manager via the telephone or email listed in the brochure.

For those who do not qualify for full coverage by the main NISEP scheme due to their income criteria, there is the Efficiency Plus Insulation Cashback scheme that can still assist in home energy efficiency upgrades.

The scheme - also administered by NISEP - works by granting Northern Ireland residents a one-third cost coverage towards loft or cavity wall insulation. This is because uninsulated lofts and walls comprise a staggering 60% of a home's heat loss, making them the most important avenues to insulate. 

The scheme also provides full funding for LED lightbulbs and stone shower heads as extra incentives for households. 

Another key scheme available for Northern Irish residents seeking grants for domestic insulation is the Affordable Warmth Scheme (AWS). 

Administered by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE), the scheme is designed to help low-income and fuel-poor households with up to £7,500 in grants to improve domestic insulation and heating.

To apply for the AWS scheme, you can contact the NI Energy Advice Service (NIEAS) through their official email or telephone line, available on their website.

For all the schemes, there are generally similar qualification criteria that prioritise low-income and fuel-poor households. Nevertheless, each scheme has its slight differences that are good to know. Here’s a summary of the qualification criteria per scheme:

To learn more about each scheme, visit the official websites to acquire further information.

Through insulation grants in Northern Ireland, you can get full or partial funding towards insulating the main avenues of home heat loss, namely your loft and cavity walls. 

In the case of the Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme (NISEP), qualifying households can receive full coverage for loft and/or cavity wall insulation, as well as other measures such as home heating system upgrades.

In the case of the Affordable Warmth Scheme (AWS), qualifying households can receive grants of up to £7,500 for loft and/or cavity wall insulation, but also grants up to £10,000 for solid wall insulation measures, including both internal and external wall insulation options.

All in all, there are some differences in what grants get you in Northern Ireland, and in the UK. It's important to learn about the specificities of applying from different regions, for example, when applying for a loft insulation grant in Wales.

There are several options for insulation grants in Northern Ireland depending on your qualifications and needs. Here’s how you can apply for a grant:

Financial assistance via a grant scheme is a great start, but to make sure your investment doesn’t go to waste, it's important to work with a professional installer. 

Trustworthy installers can make sure you receive a high-quality installation and avoid mounting repair costs down the line. However, finding the right fit can see you spend countless hours surfing the web and scheduling phone calls. Luckily, GreenMatch UK has you covered.

By filling out our simple 30-second form, we can connect you with up to 3 free home-tailored quotes from pre-vetted installers in our nationwide network. The best part? Our services are entirely free and without obligations. Just click the button below to begin!