Open since Tuesday 6 October, budget day
The battery grant was one of the measures the Government approved on 29 September, a week before the Budget:
SEAI, individual energy grants: "New €2,000 boiler scrappage scheme, a battery grant and enhanced supports for households at risk of energy poverty among measures approved by Government."
It opened at 5pm on Tuesday 6 October 2026, the day of Budget 2027. SEAI's solar panel page now puts it plainly:
SEAI, solar electricity grant: "SEAI now also offer a €600 grant for a battery."
What it pays
One amount, whatever the house:
SEAI, battery grant: "The grant is a flat rate of €600 for systems of 5kWh or larger. Batteries of smaller than 5kWh are not eligible to apply for this grant."
A battery stores electricity to use later: what solar panels make during the day, or cheaper night-rate power. SEAI's new questions and answers say you don't need solar panels, but the tariff matters:
SEAI, battery grant FAQs: "Can I have a battery if I do not have solar panels? Yes, you can. However, it is important that you are on an electricity tariff where there are times when it is cheaper to use electricity"
What a battery costs, and the VAT
SEAI's own range, fully fitted:
SEAI, battery grant FAQs: "To have a battery fully installed can cost of the order of €3,500 to €5,500."
So the €600 grant covers a small part of a €3,500 to €5,500 job. The VAT depends on whether solar panels go in at the same time:
SEAI, battery grant FAQs: "if you are installing the battery at the same time as solar panels, there will be 0% VAT on the cost of the battery. If it is a standalone installation, there will be 23% VAT on top of that cost."
If you plan both, one job and one application keeps the battery at 0% VAT. With the panel grant, SEAI puts the most for the two together at €2,400:
SEAI, solar electricity grant: "This brings you maximum grant value for solar pv panels and battery to €2,400."
If you already have solar panels, check the inverter first:
SEAI, battery grant FAQs: "Standard solar PV installations come with what is known as a string inverter and these are not compatible with battery storage so you may need a new (hybrid) inverter."
Where it goes
SEAI, battery grant FAQs: "It is recommended that the battery be installed outside (including in an outbuilding) in an appropriate enclosure."
SEAI, battery grant FAQs: "It would be advisable to check with your home insurance provider before proceeding with an indoor installation in case it affects your home insurance policy."
SEAI, battery grant FAQs: "A Registered Electrical Contractor is required to sign off on the installation of the battery, including that it is installed in a suitable location."
And a battery does not keep the lights on in a power cut unless it is set up to:
SEAI, battery grant FAQs: "a standard installation is set up to disconnect the battery (and solar panels) during a power cut."
Who can get it
SEAI, battery grant: "All homeowners, including private landlords"
SEAI, battery grant: "It must have been built and occupied before 2025. The grant is not open to homes with previous funding for a battery at this MPRN."
The solar panel grant now has the same cut-off; SEAI's solar page dropped its old "before 2021" line by 8 October:
SEAI, solar electricity grant: "The house must have been built and occupied before 2025."
Everything that changed on 6 October is in one place.
Don't fit the battery before the offer
This is the rule that costs people the grant. The offer comes first, then the battery:
SEAI, battery grant: "You must wait to receive a Grant Offer from SEAI before installing the battery."
If you already have a solar panel application in, you add the battery as a new application, and the same rule holds:
SEAI, battery grant: "Simply submit a new application for the battery system grant by logging into the portal. It is important to note that applications cannot be accepted for installations that have already started."
So if a battery is already booked in, ask the installer to hold it until your offer comes through. Whether a grant is paid is SEAI's decision on the application.
Who fits it
SEAI, battery grant: "You must use an SEAI registered Solar PV Contractor to install the battery."
Your installer also has to tell ESB Networks before the battery goes in, and that takes time:
SEAI, battery grant: "Your installer must apply to ESB Networks to connect your battery system to the electricity network, before installing the system. This application process usually takes at least 4 weeks / 20 working days."
If you have solar panels, SEAI asks for a BER after the work:
SEAI, battery grant: "A post-works BER is required for the battery if you have Solar PV."
With solar panels, or later
Solar panels and a battery can go on one application:
SEAI, battery grant: "There is no need to submit separate applications for each measure."
Or one now and the other later:
SEAI, battery grant: "you may apply for the grant for the other measure at a later date, provided all applicable eligibility criteria are met at the time of application."
The solar panel grant is up to €1,800. Amounts last checked 2026-10-03. For homeowners on certain Department of Social Protection payments, SEAI's home grants page shows a higher figure for the two together:
SEAI, home energy grants: "Up to €9,000 for Solar PV and Battery"
The welfare solar and battery grant has SEAI's schedule, size by size.
Once you have the offer
SEAI, battery grant: "Once you receive grant approval, you have 8 months to complete the works and submit the Declaration of Works. After 8 months, the grant expires and will be not be paid."
After the Budget
Budget 2027 did not change the battery grant. SEAI's battery page sets out the general rule: the amount is the one in force when you apply.
SEAI, battery grant: "Applicants are eligible for the grant amounts that are in effect at the time of application"
Budget 2027 and SEAI grants tracks each home energy grant change, with its source. If a battery is one job of several, a check of your home puts them in order and adds up the grants for each one.