Clare · checked 29 October 2026
Window grants in Clare
The grant is national. The homes in Clare aren't. What SEAI's BER register and Census 2022 say about homes in Ennis, Shannon and Sixmilebridge, and what it means for new windows.
Figures checked against seai.ie on 29 October 2026.
windowgrants.ie is not SEAI or a government body and does not award grants.
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- €4,000 detached, €1,800 mid-terrace, €1,500 apartment
- Plus €800 per door, up to two
- One SEAI-registered contractor rings you
In Clare, 46% of BER certificates for homes built before 2011 already pass the heat loss test SEAI sets for the window grant, below the 49% for Ireland. Homes near Ennis need about 11% less heating than the national average, so new glazing saves a little less.
The grant itself is the same in every county: €1,500 to €4,000 for the windows by home type, plus €800 a door for up to two (seai.ie, checked 29 October 2026). We pass your request to one SEAI-registered contractor who covers Clare.
What stands out about Clare homes
SEAI pays the same grant in every county. The homes aren't the same. Against the national figures, these are the things that stand out in Clare, from Ennis, Shannon and Sixmilebridge to the rest of the county:
- 46% of Clare's pre-2011 BERs pass the heat loss test, against 49% nationally, the 18th highest of the 26 counties. That's the share of homes ready for the window grant without insulating first.
- Clare is milder than average. Near Ennis, Met Éireann's averages give about 1,843 heating degree days a year, against 2,079 for Ireland. The same window loses about 11% less heat here, so new glazing saves a little less.
- Detached houses are 60% of Clare homes, against 41% nationally (Census 2022). They get the top windows grant, €4,000, and the most glass of any home type.
- 63% of Clare's pre-2011 BERs show older double glazing, U-value 2.5 or worse, against 58% nationally. Older double glazing counts for the grant, so more homes here have windows that qualify.
Clare and Ireland compared
| Clare | Ireland | Rank of 26 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households, Census 2022 | 46,441 | 1,836,728 | |
| Built before 2011, inside the grant | 91% | 90% | |
| Built 2011 or later | 6% | 8% | 14th |
| Detached houses | 60% | 41% | 10th |
| BERs for homes built before 2011 | 20,329 | 751,700 | |
| HLI below 2.3: passes the heat loss test | 46% | 49% | 18th |
| Single glazing (U-value 4.0 or more) | 7.4% | 7.3% | 10th |
| Older double glazing (2.5 to 4.0) | 63% | 58% | 4th |
| BERs for grant claims per 1,000 pre-2011 homes, 2026 | 45.1 | 42.1 | 14th |
| Heating degree days a year | 1,843 | 2,079 | 21st |
Households and year built: CSO Census 2022 (table F2007A), councils in the county added together. BER figures: SEAI BER Research Tool, the full public file downloaded 29 October 2026: 751,700 certificates for existing homes built before 2011, leaving out the BERs done for grant claims. Degree days near Ennis: our sum from Met Éireann's 1991–2020 grid. Ranks are ours, 1st being the highest.
Next door, the share of pre-2011 BERs that pass the heat loss test: Galway 53%, Tipperary 40%, Limerick 49%. All 26 counties side by side.
The heat loss test in Clare
SEAI only pays for windows in a home that holds its heat. After the work, the BER advisory report must show Good or Very Good heat loss. An HLI below 2.3 on your current BER, or roof and walls rated Good, already meets it (seai.ie). Of the 5,244 Clare certificates for homes built before 2011 that show an HLI, 46% are below 2.3 and the median is 2.36.
| Home type | Median HLI, Clare | Ireland | The median home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached house | 2.62 | 2.65 | 2.3 or more: insulate first |
| Semi-D | 2.26 | 2.35 | Below 2.3: passes |
| End of terrace | 2.39 | 2.45 | 2.3 or more: insulate first |
| Mid-terrace | 2.19 | 2.30 | Below 2.3: passes |
| Apartment | 1.86 | 1.88 | Below 2.3: passes |
W/K/m², BER certificates for homes built before 2011 that show an HLI. Below 2.3 meets the heat loss test. Source: SEAI's BER register, as above. Our medians.
In Clare the median detached house and end of terrace all sit at or above 2.3, so a typical one needs attic or wall insulation before SEAI pays for windows. The median semi-D, mid-terrace and apartment are already below it. Compared with Ireland as a whole, more Clare homes need that work first.
Wall and attic insulation have their own SEAI grants, and a previous SEAI insulation grant also counts towards showing the home is insulated (SEAI, 20 Feb 2026). Our sister sites cover cavity wall insulation in Clare and external wall insulation in Clare. How to read your own BER: window grant eligibility.
The windows on Clare BERs
The grant is for replacing single-glazed and older double-glazed windows. On Clare's BER certificates for homes built before 2011, 7.4% show single glazing and 63% older double glazing. In homes built before 1978 the single glazing share is 18%, against 17% nationally (SEAI's BER register).
| Glazing on the BER (U-value) | Clare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| Single glazing (4.0 or more) | 7.4% | 7.3% |
| Older double glazing (2.5 to 4.0) | 63% | 58% |
| Newer double glazing (1.6 to 2.5) | 26% | 30% |
| 1.6 or better | 4% | 5% |
Source: SEAI's BER register, as above. Bands are ours.
The size of the job is the glass. SEAI's grant is fixed by home type, so the more window a house has, the more of the bill is left to you. Of Clare houses built before 2011, the commonest type is the detached house (Census 2022). On BERs the median detached house has 23.4 m² of window, against 23.7 m² nationally, about the same. SEAI publishes its median costs nationally, not by county: a windows upgrade on a semi-D cost a median €7,110 from January to June 2026, and on a detached house €10,453 (SEAI's median costs PDF).
| Home type | Window area, Clare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| Detached house | 23.4 m² | 23.7 m² |
| Semi-D | 16.9 m² | 17.0 m² |
| End of terrace | 14.3 m² | 13.7 m² |
| Mid-terrace | 13.5 m² | 12.5 m² |
| Apartment | 8.8 m² | 9.2 m² |
Median window area recorded on BER certificates for Clare homes built before 2011: SEAI's BER register, as above. Our medians.
Heating, weather and grant claims in Clare
The grant doesn't depend on the fuel, but the fuel prices the heat a window loses. 58% of Clare households heat mainly with oil (CSO Census 2022), and SEAI's fuel cost comparison of 1 July 2026 puts heating oil at 12.6c per kWh, VAT included (SEAI). Electricity, at 34.38c, costs more than twice as much per unit of heat as oil or gas. Only 12% heat with gas, against 33% nationally.
| Main central heating | Clare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| Oil | 58% | 39% |
| Natural gas | 12% | 33% |
| Electricity | 9% | 12% |
| Coal, peat or wood | 13% | 9% |
Share of all households, including those that didn't state a fuel: CSO Census 2022, table SAP2022T6T5CTY.
Ennis has about 1,843 heating degree days a year on Met Éireann's 1991–2020 averages, against 2,079 for Ireland (our sum, base 15.5°C). The heat a window loses rises in step with that number.
Every SEAI home grant needs a BER after the work, so the BERs done for grant claims track finished grant jobs of every kind. In Clare there were 1,319 in 2024, 1,577 in 2025 and 1,917 in 2026 up to 29 October: 45.1 per 1,000 homes built before 2011, against 42.1 nationally (SEAI's BER register). SEAI received over 7,000 windows and doors applications nationally in the first three months of the grant (SEAI).
The window grant by home type
The grant is the same in Clare as in every other county: a fixed amount for the windows by home type, whatever the number of windows, plus €800 for each external door, up to two.
| Home type | Windows grant | Doors (up to two) | Most you can get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached house | €4,000 | €800 each | €5,600 |
| Semi-D or end of terrace | €3,000 | €800 each | €4,600 |
| Mid-terrace | €1,800 | €800 each | €3,400 |
| Apartment | €1,500 | €800 each | €3,100 |
Source: SEAI windows and doors grant, checked 29 October 2026.
What's left after the grant, on SEAI's national median costs for January to June 2026. No county medians are published, so none are given here:
| Home type | SEAI median cost, windows | Windows grant | Typical cost after grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached house | €10,453 | €4,000 | €6,453 |
| Semi-D or end of terrace | €7,110 | €3,000 | €4,110 |
| Mid-terrace | €4,650 | €1,800 | €2,850 |
| Apartment | €4,196 | €1,500 | €2,696 |
Costs: SEAI median costs, January to June 2026, from SEAI's median costs PDF (a sample of 23,412 completed upgrades; the cost each contractor submitted to SEAI at grant payment; VAT status not stated on the PDF), read 29 October 2026. Grants: seai.ie, checked 29 October 2026.
- A home built and occupied before 2011, with an MPRN
- Single or older double glazing being replaced
- Good or Very Good heat loss on the BER after the work
- An SEAI-registered contractor, and SEAI's approval before work starts
The rules in full: SEAI window grant, door grant, how to apply and One Stop Shop or apply yourself. Over 66? Your council's grant is on window grants over 66.
FAQ
Clare questions
Is the window grant different in Clare?
No. SEAI pays the same fixed amounts in every county: €1,500 to €4,000 for windows by home type, plus €800 a door, up to two. What differs is the homes: 46% of Clare's pre-2011 BERs already pass the heat loss test, against 49% nationally.
How many Clare homes pass the heat loss test?
46% of BER certificates for Clare homes built before 2011 that show an HLI are below 2.3, the 18th highest share of the 26 counties. The median is 2.36. The median detached house and end of terrace is at or above 2.3.
How many Clare homes still have single glazing?
7.4% of BERs for Clare homes built before 2011 show single glazing, and 63% older double glazing with a U-value of 2.5 or worse. Both count for the grant.
How many Clare homes are too new for the grant?
Census 2022 counted 2,888 Clare households in homes built in 2011 or later, 6% of the total. SEAI's windows grant is only for homes built and occupied before 2011.
Who will ring me in Clare?
One SEAI-registered contractor who covers Clare. They look at the windows and doors, ask about your BER and give you a written price. Nothing is booked until you say yes, and SEAI approves the grant before any work starts.
Your grant
Your window grant in 3 taps
Tap your home type, when it was built and what you're replacing. Your SEAI grant shows as you go. Then leave your number and one SEAI-registered contractor who covers your area rings you with a price.
Where these numbers come from (9 public sources, checked 29 October 2026)
- SEAI windows and doors grant page
- CSO Census 2022, households by type and year built
- SEAI BER Research Tool (public BER file)
- Met Éireann 1991–2020 averages
- SEAI blog: is my home ready for the windows grant?
- SEAI median costs of individual upgrades, Jan–Jun 2026
- CSO Census 2022, central heating by county
- SEAI
- SEAI news: home energy upgrade applications, Q1 2026