Knowledge & Updates

News & Insights

A fortnightly briefing on energy, building regulations and grants in Northern Ireland — compiled for clients, architects and self-builders.

Latest Issue

Northern Ireland Energy Briefing

Issue w/c 25 May 2026 Published 25 May 2026

Executive Summary

  • NISEP 2026/27 live — 15 schemes across 9 managers open from 1 April 2026. Includes fully funded heat pumps (Green Heat NI), solar PV and battery storage. Funds first-come, first-served — some schemes already on waiting list.
  • Affordable Warmth Scheme closed March 2026. Replacement Warm Healthy Homes Fund (£150m) launches March 2027 — subject to Executive approval.
  • UK Warm Homes Plan announced for NI — up to £7,500 heat pump grants and free solar/battery packages for low-income households. NI application route not yet confirmed.
  • Boiler Replacement Allowance (Phoenix Energy / Action Renewables) — up to £600 cashback for gas-switching. Deadline 30 June 2026.
  • Technical Booklet F1 remains operative for NI new build — no 2026 update announced. Net zero ready new buildings milestone due 2026/27.
  • RdSAP 10 live in NI from June 2025 for existing dwellings. SAP 2009 Conventions v5.0 remains operative for new build.
  • NIE Networks grid connection cost socialisation in effect from 18 May 2026 — reinforcement costs now spread across all NI consumers, reducing upfront costs for rural new-build and renewable connections.
  • Invest NI EECG remains paused pending performance review. NISEP business scheme (Power NI, 20% grant up to £30,000) is the current active alternative.

Domestic

Current grants and schemes for homeowners and tenants in Northern Ireland.

NISEP 2026/27
15 schemes across 9 managers open from 1 April 2026. Includes fully funded heat pumps (Green Heat NI / Refresh NI), solar PV and battery storage (Toasty Homes), insulation packages. At least 80% of funding targets vulnerable or priority customers. Funds are first-come, first-served — some schemes already on a waiting list.
Open
Boiler Replacement Allowance
Up to £600 cashback for switching to natural gas. Managed by Phoenix Energy / Action Renewables under NISEP. Household income under £90,000. Deadline: 30 June 2026 — act promptly.
Open — closes 30 June 2026
Warm Healthy Homes Fund
Replacement for the Affordable Warmth Scheme (which closed March 2026). The new Warm Healthy Homes Fund (£150m over first five years) takes a whole-house approach covering insulation, heating upgrades and ventilation. Launches March 2027 — subject to Executive approval.
Launching March 2027
UK Warm Homes Plan — NI
Up to £7,500 heat pump grants for all homeowners. Free solar PV and battery storage packages (est. £9,000–£12,000) for low-income households. Programme runs to 2030. NI application route not yet confirmed — monitor nidirect.gov.uk and DfC for details.
NI application route not yet confirmed
Affordable Warmth Scheme (NIHE)
Closed March 2026 after improving 30,000+ homes. No longer accepting applications. Qualifying clients should be directed to NISEP fully funded schemes and the forthcoming Warm Healthy Homes Fund.
Closed

New Build

Building regulations and compliance updates for new dwellings in Northern Ireland.

Technical Booklet F1 2022
Current standard for NI new build SAP/SBEM. 40% CO₂ reduction required for new dwellings; 15% for non-domestic. SAP 2009 Conventions v5.0 applies — no 2026 update announced. Net zero ready new buildings milestone due 2026/27.
Operative — no 2026 update
RdSAP 10
Live in NI from June 2025. Introduces post-2023 age band (Age Band M), individual window measurements, and improved modelling of heat pumps, PV and battery storage. More data required on site than under RdSAP 9.94. Applies to existing dwellings only — SAP 2009 v5.0 remains operative for new build.
Live — June 2025
NIE Networks — Grid Connection Cost Socialisation
In effect from 18 May 2026. Reinforcement costs up to £1,000/kVA (demand) and £200/kW (generation) are now spread across all NI consumers rather than charged to the individual connecting customer. Significantly reduces upfront costs for rural new-build and small renewable connections. Verify specific thresholds against the DfE decision paper before quoting clients.
In effect — 18 May 2026

Commercial

Grants and funding for non-domestic buildings and businesses in Northern Ireland.

NISEP Business Element
20% grant for non-domestic measures including heat pumps, solar PV, solar thermal and boiler replacements. Managed by Power NI, support up to £30,000. 2026/27 year runs April 2026–March 2027 or until funds allocated — first come, first served.
Open
Invest NI — Energy Efficiency Capital Grant
Up to £150,000 for energy-efficient equipment. Currently paused pending performance review against DfE green economy objectives. No reopening date announced. Monitor investni.com for updates.
Paused
Resource Efficiency Capital Grant
Parallel programme covering water, waste and materials efficiency for Invest NI clients. Most recent call closed February 2026. No new call announced. Monitor for future rounds.
Closed — monitor for new call
Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF)
Closed to new applications following the 2025 Spending Review. Phase 3 Window 2 cancelled. All existing funded projects remain supported through completion.
Closed
Carbon Trust 0% Loans
The Carbon Trust interest-free loan scheme for NI SMEs is now closed. Businesses should check Invest NI and NISEP for current financing options.
Closed

Policy & Regulatory Updates

NI Climate Change Act 2022 — net zero by 2050; 48% reduction by 2030. NICCAP3 published March 2026 covering adaptation to 2029. NI Executive must set the fourth carbon budget by end 2026.
NI Energy Strategy mid-term review published December 2025 — confirmed progress towards 80% renewables by 2030. New buildings to be net zero ready by 2026/27.
Utility Regulator TPI Position Paper (14 May 2026) — new licence condition proposed requiring energy suppliers to publish Third Party Costs on customer contracts. Consultation closes 15 June 2026.
NIE Networks grid connection cost socialisation in effect 18 May 2026 — reinforcement costs now spread across all NI consumers. Benefits rural new-build and small renewable connections.
NISEP confirmed extended for a further two years (April 2027–March 2029). New Framework Document due September 2026.

Disclaimer: This briefing is compiled from publicly available sources and is provided for general information only. Grant eligibility, scheme availability and regulatory requirements change frequently. D. Heggarty Surveying accepts no liability for decisions made on the basis of this briefing. Always verify current details directly with the relevant scheme manager or government body before advising clients or making applications.

Previous Issues

Briefing Archive

Previous briefings are available below.

02
NI Energy Briefing — w/c 25 May 2026
Published 25 May 2026 · Domestic, New Build, Commercial, Policy
Current issue
01
NI Energy Briefing — w/c 20 May 2026
Published 20 May 2026 · Domestic, New Build, Commercial, Policy
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