How can installers apply for the SEAI home charger grant for their customers?
By Smart Solar editorial teamUpdated 7 min read
Short answer
Yes. As of November 2026, SEAI accepts home charger grant applications from companies acting for the resident, once you have emailed SEAI your CRO number and it has confirmed. The grant is up to €300, once per MPRN, for a charger on SEAI's Smart Charger Register fitted by a Safe Electric registered contractor.
Key points
- Email SEAI your company name, trading names, contact details and CRO number first. You can only apply as a third party once SEAI confirms.
- As of November 2026 the grant is up to €300 for charger and installation together, and a Letter of Offer starts a six-month clock.
- Spending before approval is ineligible, so work starts only on or after the start date in the Letter of Offer.
- The charger must be on SEAI's Smart Charger Register and installed by a Safe Electric registered electrical contractor.
- The grant is open to homeowners whether or not they own an electric vehicle, so you can quote before the car arrives.
The market in numbers
€300
6 months
4 to 6 weeks
An installer can apply for the SEAI home charger grant for a customer, but only as a registered third-party applicant. This guide covers what SEAI asks of your company first, the rules that rule customers out and how to build the paperwork into your quote. For the wider picture, start with the EV charger installer guide.
What does the SEAI home charger grant cover as of November 2026?
As of November 2026 the grant is up to €300 towards the purchase and installation of a home charger. That figure covers charger and installation costs together, and SEAI asks for invoices for both. Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland (ZEVI) funds the scheme and SEAI runs it on ZEVI's behalf.
SEAI says funding is limited and conditions change, so check the SEAI home charger grant page before every quote. The grant is open to homeowners whether or not they own an electric vehicle, so say so on the first call and you can quote before the car arrives.
Can an installer apply on the customer's behalf?
Yes. As of November 2026 SEAI accepts applications from third parties acting for residents, but only after your CRO number has been sent to SEAI. The resident can still apply alone, so handling it is a service you offer, not a requirement.
SEAI defines a third-party applicant as a company acting for the grant beneficiary, who must be a private individual. Once you submit the claim, SEAI emails the resident a signature link for verification, so the customer still has one job to do.
What do you need to set up with SEAI first?
Email SEAI your company details and CRO number, then wait to be told it is complete. You cannot apply as a third party before that.
- Email
evchargers@seai.iewith your company name (including any trading names), contact details and CRO number. - Use
EVHC - 3rd Party CRO Number Applicant/Verification Requestas the subject, as SEAI's page asks. - Wait for SEAI to confirm that the verification is done.
- Check who will do the electrical work. CRU states that electrical contractors must be registered with the Safe Electric scheme as Registered Electrical Contractors, and SEAI pays only where one did the work. See how to become an EV charger installer for that side.
SEAI's page does not say how long verification takes, or what applies to a business without a CRO number. Ask at the same address before you promise customers anything.
Which rules can make a customer ineligible?
A customer is ineligible if the home is not a private residence with its own off-street driveway, if the property already had a charge point grant payment, or if work starts before approval. Ask about each on the first call and write down the answer.
| Rule | What to ask or check |
|---|---|
| Private residence with a private off-street driveway | Where does the car park? The charger, the works and the driveway must all sit inside the property boundary |
| MPRN | Ask for the number on the electricity bill. SEAI uses it to confirm the home's location |
| One charger per MPRN | Has the property had an EV home charge point grant payment, or the free ESB ecars home charger before 2018? Either rules it out |
| Private individual as beneficiary | SEAI approves applications only where the beneficiary is a private individual |
| No off-street parking | A charger arm needs evidence from the planning authority: an exempted development declaration or full planning permission |
| Work before approval | Any spending before the start date in the Letter of Offer is ineligible |
Source: SEAI, Electric Vehicle Home Charger Grant page (eligibility criteria and terms and conditions), as of November 2026.
If the charger needs a new permanent structure or extends beyond the property boundary, SEAI says to seek a Section 5 declaration from the local planning authority. The boundary rule may not apply to a multi-unit development that took part in SEAI's Apartment Charger Scheme. If a case does not fit the rules, SEAI asks you to email evchargers@seai.ie for verification, so do that before you promise the customer anything.
How do you build grant handling into your quote?
Show the grant as its own line, marked as subject to SEAI approval, and write down who applies, when work can start and who receives the payment. Then the customer knows where they stand if approval is slow or refused.
- Survey first. SEAI recommends an electrical survey before the customer commits. Earthing, meter tail and bonding upgrades are not eligible, so quote them on a separate line.
- Name a charger on the register. SEAI supports only smart chargers on its Smart Charger Register, and the approved list is in its online application form. Put the exact model on the quote.
- State the start condition. Work begins after the Letter of Offer start date, not on signing.
- Settle who receives the money. SEAI's FAQ says payment goes to the applicant's account and not a third party. Confirm with SEAI what that means for a third-party application, then put it in writing.
- Do not promise a date. SEAI says that on average it processes claims in approximately 4 to 6 weeks from the date it receives the documents. Quote that as SEAI's estimate, not yours.
A customer comparing you with a package from an energy supplier is also comparing how much of the paperwork each side handles. See competing with energy supplier charger offers, and qualifying EV charger leads for the first-call questions.
Smart Solar passes solar PV enquiries from private homeowners on to installers and installs nothing itself. If you would like to hear from us about working together on leads, use the sign-up form at the bottom of this page.
Step by step: a third-party application from first call to payment
Follow SEAI's order, because costs incurred before approval are not covered.
- First call. Confirm a private home with an off-street driveway, take the MPRN and ask about earlier grants.
- Survey and charger. Survey the house and pick a model from the Smart Charger Register.
- Apply as a third party. Use SEAI's application form with your verified CRO number. SEAI emails the Letter of Offer.
- Install. A Safe Electric registered contractor does the work, after the Letter of Offer start date.
- Claim within 6 months. Send the Payment Request Form from the Letter of Offer email, with the evidence.
- Verify and pay. The resident signs SEAI's link, SEAI checks with Safe Electric and pays by electronic transfer.
What goes in the claim. The electrician completes the Installation Details form and gives you Certificate Number 3 and the test record, which evidence compliance with the National Rules for Electrical Installations. You send the signed Payment Request Form with bank details, Certificate Number 3, the test record, invoices and photographs of the installed charge point.
Which 6 months. SEAI's pages give the 6 months as running from the date of the Letter of Offer and from its start date, so work to the earlier one. If you will not finish in time, SEAI says to cancel with its cancellation form and re-apply. If work has started, carry on with the original application and tell SEAI.
After you submit. SEAI checks with Safe Electric that the certificate was filed and that the electrician is registered, then pays into the account on the form. Track the claim with the third-party status check, using your CRO number and the email you gave SEAI.
Typical mistakes with third-party grant applications
- Starting work before the Letter of Offer start date. SEAI treats earlier spending as ineligible.
- Applying before SEAI has confirmed your CRO number. You cannot apply as a third party until it has.
- Quoting a charger that is not on the register. SEAI will not support it.
- Letting the 6 months run out. Cancel and re-apply early rather than lose the offer.
- Promising the grant covers wiring upgrades. Earthing, meter tails and bonding are outside it.
- Missing documents in the claim. SEAI checks the certificate with Safe Electric.
- Assuming the file closes at payment. SEAI may visit before or after paying. Failing to allow a visit can mean revocation or clawback of the grant.
Questions and answers
Do I need a CRO number to apply for a customer?
Yes. SEAI's page says you must submit your CRO number to SEAI before you can apply as a third-party applicant. You email your company name, any trading names, contact details and CRO number, then wait for confirmation. The page does not describe another route for a business without one, so ask SEAI, or let the customer apply as a homeowner.
Does the customer need an electric car to get the SEAI charger grant?
No. As of November 2026 SEAI says the grant is open to homeowners whether or not they own an electric vehicle. The conditions concern the home: a private residence with its own off-street driveway, an MPRN and no earlier charge point grant payment on the property. That lets you quote a charger before the car arrives.
How long do you have to finish the work after the Letter of Offer?
SEAI gives 6 months from the date on the Letter of Offer to complete the installation and return the Payment Request Form with all the evidence. If you will not make it, SEAI says to cancel and re-apply. If work has already started, carry on with the original application and tell SEAI.
Who is the grant paid to when an installer applies?
SEAI pays by electronic transfer into the bank account nominated on the Payment Request Form, and its FAQ says payment should go to the applicant's account and not a third party. That wording does not spell out the third-party case, so confirm with SEAI which account you can nominate before you tell the customer who receives the money.
Can the customer choose any charger model?
No. SEAI supports only smart chargers on its Smart Charger Register, and a manufacturer or supplier registers them. SEAI says the approved list is available through its online application form. Check the model there before you quote, because a charger that is not on the register will not be supported.
Does the grant cover rewiring or meter tail upgrades?
No. SEAI says upgrades such as improving the earthing connection, increasing the size of the meter tails or improving the bonding between metal pipes are not eligible for grant support. It recommends an electrical survey before the customer commits, so those costs are known and quoted separately.