SEAI-funded energy audits
€2,000 towards the cost of your energy audit.
How it runs
We check you qualify
A short call about what you spend and what you run. If the grant does not cover you, we say so on that call rather than after a site visit.
You apply, we help
The application goes in through the SEAI portal with VisionGreen named as the auditor. We fill in the technical side with you.
An engineer walks the site
One to two hours on site with whoever actually runs the plant, plus your bills and half-hourly data.
You get the report
Every measure worth doing, with the cost, the saving and the payback attached, in an order you can act on.
Who qualifies for the voucher
The SEAI Support Scheme for Energy Audits gives a €2,000 voucher towards an audit by a registered energy auditor. For most businesses spending up to €50,000 a year on energy, the SEAI says that covers the whole cost. You qualify if all of these are true:
- Your business is an SME, or another commercial or public body that is not obligated to audit under the Energy Efficiency Directive
- You spend at least €10,000 a year on electricity and heating at the premises, shown on real bills, not estimates (transport fuel does not count)
- You are tax compliant, registered in Ireland and have a CRO number
- The voucher would not take you over the €300,000 de minimis state aid limit over three years
- You have not had an SSEA audit before: it is one voucher per organisation
What to have ready
Once the voucher is issued we arrange the site visit. Before it, we will ask for:
- Twelve months of energy bills for the premises
- A list of the main equipment that uses energy
- A site plan, for large or complex buildings
- Any previous energy audit or assessment
The audit covers electricity, gas, oil and any other fuel used on site, plus the company fleet if you have one. The report follows the SEAI's standard template, and the SEAI pays us directly from the voucher.
Too large for the scheme? Companies with 250 or more staff have to audit every four years anyway. How mandatory energy audits work.
What a report is worth
An audit is a snapshot. It tells you where the energy went on the day somebody looked, and which measures pay back fastest.
That is genuinely useful, and for many businesses it is enough. Where it falls short is afterwards: settings drift, equipment ages, and nobody is watching. That is the argument for monitoring, and we will make it honestly rather than bundle it in.
Questions we get asked
Who qualifies for the SEAI Support Scheme for Energy Audits?
Small and medium businesses spending more than €10,000 a year on energy, that are not already obliged to carry out an audit under other legislation. The scheme provides €2,000 towards the cost of the audit.
What does the audit itself involve?
An engineer visits the site for one to two hours, walks the plant with whoever runs it, takes measurements, and reviews your bills and half-hourly data. You receive a written report setting out the measures worth doing, what each one saves and what each one costs.
How long does it take?
Current lead time from first contact to the report is 6 to 8 weeks. We are working to shorten that.
What happens after the audit?
The report is yours to act on with anyone. Where it makes sense, we go on to install monitoring, manage the consumption down, or deliver the larger measures as a project. Many clients stop at the report, and that is a fine outcome.
How much does an energy audit cost in Ireland?
The SEAI does not set the price. Its own analysis says an in-depth audit for a business spending up to €50,000 a year on energy is unlikely to cost more than €2,000, so for most SMEs the €2,000 voucher covers the whole cost. Larger or more complex sites may need to top up the voucher, and the SEAI recommends getting three quotes if so.
Can a hotel, restaurant or pub get the SEAI audit voucher?
Yes, if the business is an SME, spends at least €10,000 a year on energy at the premises (excluding transport fuel), is tax compliant and has a CRO number. Hospitality is one of the sectors VisionGreen audits most.
We run several sites. Can we get a voucher for each one?
No. The scheme allows one voucher per applicant organisation, and a business that has already had an SSEA audit cannot apply again. For groups we usually audit the largest or most representative site first, then use monitoring to compare the rest.
We have over 250 staff. Can we use the scheme?
No. Companies with 250 or more employees, or turnover above €50 million and a balance sheet above €43 million, are obligated under the Energy Efficiency Directive to carry out their own energy audit every four years, and cannot use the voucher. VisionGreen carries out those audits too.
How long is the voucher valid?
Eight months from the date it is issued. Vouchers are awarded first come, first served, within the SEAI's annual budget.
Is VisionGreen registered with the SEAI?
Yes. VisionGreen delivers audits under the Support Scheme for Energy Audits.
An engineer on your site
The audit is done in person, with whoever runs your plant, and written up in plain terms: what to fix, what it costs and what it saves.
Find out in one call
Tell us roughly what you spend a year on energy and what kind of building you run. We will tell you straight away whether the grant covers you.
- No cost to ask
- Answer on the call
- We handle the paperwork