How much does attic insulation save in Ireland?
Attic insulation is the cheapest energy upgrade available and the one that pays for itself fastest. Roughly a quarter of the heat leaving an uninsulated house goes straight up through the roof, and stopping that is neither difficult nor disruptive.
Where the heat actually goes
In an average uninsulated Irish home the roof accounts for around 25% of total heat loss. Walls account for roughly 40%, which is why they matter more in absolute terms — but walls are also far more expensive to address.
Bungalows are the exception worth flagging. A single-storey house has the same roof area as a two-storey house of twice the floor area, so the roof is a much larger share of the envelope — often closer to a third. Attic insulation on a bungalow does proportionally more.
What the saving looks like
The honest position is that a euro figure depends on your house, your heating system, your fuel and how warm you keep the place. Anyone quoting a single national number is guessing.
What can be said with confidence: attic insulation is the lowest-cost measure per unit of heat saved, and on a house with little or no existing insulation it typically pays back within a small number of winters — faster than any other fabric upgrade.
Our current price for a standard attic job is {{PRICE_VERIFY}}, against a grant of up to €2,000.
Topping up existing insulation
A great many Irish attics were insulated once, decades ago, to a standard well below what is now required. Insulation that has been compressed by storage, disturbed by cabling work, or simply laid too thin is doing a fraction of the job.
Topping up to current depth is usually the cheapest worthwhile job on the whole house, and it still qualifies for grant support provided the finished depth meets the standard.
What it does not fix
Attic insulation makes the rooms below warmer and the attic itself colder. That is how it is meant to work, but it has consequences: water tanks and pipework in the attic need lagging, and ventilation at the eaves must not be blocked or you trade a heat problem for a condensation problem.
It also does nothing for draughts. If your house is cold because air is moving through it, insulation alone will not solve that.
Common questions
Our current price for a standard attic is {{PRICE_VERIFY}}, before the SEAI grant of up to €2,000 for a detached house. The figure depends on the area and whether existing material has to be removed.
Yes. €2,000 for a detached house, €1,500 semi-detached, €1,400 mid-terrace and €1,100 for an apartment. First-time buyers and homeowners on qualifying welfare payments receive an enhanced rate — up to €2,500 for a detached house, scaling down by dwelling type in the same way.
Most attics are completed in a single day. Larger or more awkward roof spaces can take two.
We need clear access to the joists, so stored items have to be moved out of the working area. We will tell you exactly what needs to be cleared at the survey.
Current grant standards require a substantially greater depth than was typical decades ago. The survey establishes what is there now and what has to be added to reach it.
Want a figure for your own house?
A measured survey gives you the actual cost and the grant that applies. €100, refunded in full when you order.
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