Offaly · checked 29 October 2026
Window grants in Offaly
The grant is national. The homes in Offaly aren't. What SEAI's BER register and Census 2022 say about homes in Tullamore, Edenderry and Birr, 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.
Call for a price
- €4,000 detached, €1,800 mid-terrace, €1,500 apartment
- Plus €800 per door, up to two
- One SEAI-registered contractor rings you
In Offaly, 48% 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. Detached houses, on the top €4,000 rate, are 58% of homes here, against 41% nationally.
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 Offaly.
What stands out about Offaly 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 Offaly, from Tullamore, Edenderry and Birr to the rest of the county:
- 48% of Offaly's pre-2011 BERs pass the heat loss test, against 49% nationally, the 12th highest of the 26 counties. That's the share of homes ready for the window grant without insulating first.
- Detached houses are 58% of Offaly homes, against 41% nationally (Census 2022). They get the top windows grant, €4,000, and the most glass of any home type.
- Windows here are smaller than average. The median Offaly detached house has 21.3 m² of window on its BER, against 23.7 m² nationally. The grant is fixed, so it covers more of a smaller job.
- Grant claims in Offaly run above the national rate. 1,268 BERs were done for SEAI grant claims in 2026 to 29 October, 48.0 per 1,000 homes built before 2011, against 42.1 nationally. Every grant needs a BER after the work, so this tracks finished grant jobs.
Offaly and Ireland compared
| Offaly | Ireland | Rank of 26 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households, Census 2022 | 28,702 | 1,836,728 | |
| Built before 2011, inside the grant | 92% | 90% | |
| Built 2011 or later | 6% | 8% | 14th |
| Detached houses | 58% | 41% | 14th |
| BERs for homes built before 2011 | 10,115 | 751,700 | |
| HLI below 2.3: passes the heat loss test | 48% | 49% | 12th |
| Single glazing (U-value 4.0 or more) | 7.4% | 7.3% | 10th |
| Older double glazing (2.5 to 4.0) | 58% | 58% | 11th |
| BERs for grant claims per 1,000 pre-2011 homes, 2026 | 48.0 | 42.1 | 8th |
| Heating degree days a year | 2,046 | 2,079 | 11th |
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 Tullamore: 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: Westmeath 47%, Meath 52%, Kildare 55%, Laois 55%, Tipperary 40%, Galway 53%, Roscommon 40%. All 26 counties side by side.
The heat loss test in Offaly
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 3,106 Offaly certificates for homes built before 2011 that show an HLI, 48% are below 2.3 and the median is 2.32.
| Home type | Median HLI, Offaly | Ireland | The median home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached house | 2.68 | 2.65 | 2.3 or more: insulate first |
| Semi-D | 2.23 | 2.35 | Below 2.3: passes |
| End of terrace | 2.23 | 2.45 | Below 2.3: passes |
| Mid-terrace | 2.10 | 2.30 | Below 2.3: passes |
| Apartment | 2.11 | 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 Offaly the median detached house sits at or above 2.3, so a typical one needs attic or wall insulation before SEAI pays for windows. The median semi-D, end of terrace, mid-terrace and apartment are already below it. Compared with Ireland as a whole, more Offaly 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 Offaly and external wall insulation in Offaly. How to read your own BER: window grant eligibility.
The windows on Offaly BERs
The grant is for replacing single-glazed and older double-glazed windows. On Offaly's BER certificates for homes built before 2011, 7.4% show single glazing and 58% older double glazing. In homes built before 1978 the single glazing share is 17%, against 17% nationally (SEAI's BER register).
| Glazing on the BER (U-value) | Offaly | Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| Single glazing (4.0 or more) | 7.4% | 7.3% |
| Older double glazing (2.5 to 4.0) | 58% | 58% |
| Newer double glazing (1.6 to 2.5) | 30% | 30% |
| 1.6 or better | 5% | 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 Offaly houses built before 2011, the commonest type is the detached house (Census 2022). On BERs the median detached house has 21.3 m² of window, against 23.7 m² nationally, so the fixed grant covers more of the job. 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, Offaly | Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| Detached house | 21.3 m² | 23.7 m² |
| Semi-D | 14.5 m² | 17.0 m² |
| End of terrace | 12.5 m² | 13.7 m² |
| Mid-terrace | 11.0 m² | 12.5 m² |
| Apartment | 6.8 m² | 9.2 m² |
Median window area recorded on BER certificates for Offaly homes built before 2011: SEAI's BER register, as above. Our medians.
Heating, weather and grant claims in Offaly
The grant doesn't depend on the fuel, but the fuel prices the heat a window loses. 42% of Offaly 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. Coal, peat or wood heats 35% of Offaly homes, against 9% nationally.
| Main central heating | Offaly | Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| Oil | 42% | 39% |
| Natural gas | 7% | 33% |
| Electricity | 8% | 12% |
| Coal, peat or wood | 35% | 9% |
Share of all households, including those that didn't state a fuel: CSO Census 2022, table SAP2022T6T5CTY.
Tullamore has about 2,046 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 Offaly there were 834 in 2024, 978 in 2025 and 1,268 in 2026 up to 29 October: 48.0 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 Offaly 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
Offaly questions
Is the window grant different in Offaly?
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: 48% of Offaly's pre-2011 BERs already pass the heat loss test, against 49% nationally.
How many Offaly homes pass the heat loss test?
48% of BER certificates for Offaly homes built before 2011 that show an HLI are below 2.3, the 12th highest share of the 26 counties. The median is 2.32. The median detached house is at or above 2.3.
How many Offaly homes still have single glazing?
7.4% of BERs for Offaly homes built before 2011 show single glazing, and 58% older double glazing with a U-value of 2.5 or worse. Both count for the grant.
How many Offaly homes are too new for the grant?
Census 2022 counted 1,709 Offaly 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 Offaly?
One SEAI-registered contractor who covers Offaly. 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