Solar Panel Grants Northern Ireland: NISEP and Affordable Warmth (2026)

If you live in Northern Ireland and want to reduce the cost of installing solar panels, the funding landscape looks quite different from England, Scotland, or Wales. Northern Ireland is not part of the Great Britain electricity market — it operates within the Single Electricity Market (SEM), which it shares with the Republic of Ireland, and is regulated by the Utility Regulator rather than Ofgem. As a result, many GB-specific schemes — including the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and some Ofgem-administered grants — do not apply in NI.

That said, Northern Ireland has its own suite of programmes that can meaningfully cut solar installation costs. This guide covers every current route to funding: NISEP, the Affordable Warmth scheme, the Warm Homes Plan, and the 0% VAT relief that every NI homeowner already benefits from. For a full overview of the picture elsewhere in the UK, see our guide to solar grants in England, Scotland and Wales.

NISEP: Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme

What it is: NISEP (the Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme) is an approximately £8 million annual fund collected from electricity customers through a public service obligation levy and administered by the Energy Saving Trust on behalf of the Utility Regulator. The programme funds a range of energy efficiency and renewable energy measures and has been extended until March 2029, according to the Utility Regulator.

Who can benefit: At least 80% of NISEP funding is ring-fenced for vulnerable or priority customers. For domestic solar, the most relevant schemes are those offered through electricity suppliers — primarily SSE Airtricity, Power NI, and Budget Energy. You cannot apply to NISEP directly; instead, you contact your supplier to ask about current NISEP-funded schemes in your area.

Solar-specific support: Priority domestic customers with low incomes or those receiving qualifying benefits may be eligible for subsidised solar PV as part of a whole-house energy upgrade under NISEP. Non-priority households and businesses can also access NISEP schemes, including grants of up to 20% of solar installation costs for businesses and community groups. NISEP schemes for 2025–26 are live according to the Utility Regulator's published scheme list, but funding is first-come, first-served and varies by supplier.

How to apply for NISEP

1. Contact your electricity supplier (SSE Airtricity, Power NI, or Budget Energy).
2. Ask specifically about current NISEP-funded solar or energy efficiency schemes.
3. If eligible, you will be referred for a home assessment.
4. Alternatively, contact the NI Energy Advice Service (NIEAS) on 0800 111 4455 (free, managed by the NI Housing Executive).

Affordable Warmth Scheme

What it is: The Affordable Warmth scheme is administered by the NI Housing Executive (NIHE) and funded by the Department for Communities. It provides grants of up to £7,500 for energy efficiency improvements to low-income households.

Eligibility: To qualify you must own your home (or rent privately) and occupy it as your main residence, and your total gross household income must be below £23,000 per year. Those in receipt of means-tested benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit are typically fast-tracked. Council tenants and Housing Executive tenants are not eligible — they are covered by separate programmes.

What it covers: The scheme focuses primarily on insulation (loft, cavity wall, solid wall), heating system upgrades, and draught-proofing. Solar PV has not historically been a core measure under Affordable Warmth, though in some scheme years and in combination with other measures it has been available. The Department for Communities confirmed changes to the scheme in 2025, with the programme due to transition into the broader Warm Homes Plan.

The Warm Homes Plan (Northern Ireland)

The Northern Ireland Executive announced a Warm Homes Plan that will replace both the Affordable Warmth scheme and the previous Warm Home scheme. This is a separate initiative from the England Warm Homes Plan — NI has devolved housing and energy efficiency policy, so the two are not linked. The NI version is funded by the Department for Communities and delivered through the Housing Executive.

Under the Warm Homes Plan, eligible low-income and fuel-poor households can receive whole-house energy upgrades that may include solar PV and battery storage — with some eligible households potentially receiving packages valued at £9,000–£12,000 at no cost, according to comparesolarni.com. The income threshold is expected to remain around £23,000 for non-benefit households, though the criteria are being widened. Specific eligibility details were still being finalised by the Department for Communities as of mid-2026.

To register your interest, contact NIEAS on 0800 111 4455 or visit the NIHE energy efficiency grants page.

0% VAT on Solar Panels

Every homeowner in Northern Ireland — regardless of income — pays zero VAT on the supply and installation of solar panels and battery storage. This relief has applied since May 2024. On a typical 4 kW system priced at around £7,000, that represents a saving of roughly £1,170 compared to the previous 20% VAT rate. No application is required: your MCS-certified installer simply charges 0% VAT automatically.

This mirrors the position in Great Britain, where 0% VAT on domestic solar has also been in place since 2023. To understand the full cost picture before and after this saving, see our detailed breakdown of solar panel costs and savings.

Smart Export Guarantee in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland's electricity market is regulated by the Utility Regulator, not Ofgem — and the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) as mandated in Great Britain does not formally apply in NI. However, NI suppliers are required under licence conditions to offer export terms to eligible microgenerators. In practice, Power NI and SSE Airtricity offer export tariffs for solar households, typically paying 4–6p per kWh exported to the grid.

To access export payments, your system must be certified by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) and under 5 MW capacity (all domestic systems qualify). Contact your electricity supplier directly to request their current export tariff.

How NI Compares to England

England's Warm Homes Plan is a separate, much larger programme funded by the UK Government (£13.2 billion over this Parliament), and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) — which provides £7,500 towards heat pumps — operates independently from anything available in NI. NI has its own devolved equivalent schemes, but the scale and scope differs. If you are comparing notes with friends or family in England, be aware that their grants are not available to you.

For Scotland-specific grants, including the Warmer Homes Scotland programme and the Home Energy Scotland scheme, see our guide to solar panel grants in Scotland.

Summary: Which Scheme Should You Explore First?

• Low income / benefits household: Contact NIEAS (0800 111 4455) to register for the Warm Homes Plan — this is the route to fully funded solar.
• Income under £23,000, no benefits: Ask about Affordable Warmth or the Warm Homes Plan through your local council or NIHE.
• Any homeowner: You automatically benefit from 0% VAT. Make sure your installer confirms this on any quote.
• Business or community group: Ask your electricity supplier about NISEP-funded grant schemes covering up to 20% of installation costs.
• All solar households: Register for an export tariff with your supplier — 4–6p/kWh adds up over a year.