Page review status
Written by: HeatWise Home Editorial Team
Reviewed by: Editorial review by HeatWise Home
Review status: Internally reviewed for clarity, source consistency, and calculation assumptions.
Expert review: Not currently externally expert-reviewed.
Last updated: 2026-04-28
Last reviewed: 2026-04-28
Confidence: medium
External expert review: HeatWise Home does not currently publish named external expert reviewers. We are working toward adding independent review from qualified retrofit, heating, or building-energy professionals. Until then, users should treat our calculators and guides as educational planning tools and confirm decisions with official sources and qualified installers.
Medium confidence
Energy prices, grant rules, and installation costs change frequently. The figures on this page are planning ranges, not quotes. Always confirm your current tariff, delivered fuel price, installer scope, and eligibility in the named references linked below.
Irish oil boiler cost example
If a home needs 16,000 kWh of useful heat and an oil boiler runs at 82% efficiency, required oil input is about 19,512 kWh. At EUR0.13 per kWh-equivalent, annual oil heating cost is about EUR2,537 before servicing and tank-related costs.
A heat pump at SCOP 3.0 for the same useful heat uses about 5,333 kWh. At EUR0.30 per kWh electricity, annual heat pump running cost is about EUR1,600 before standing-charge effects.
Heat pump vs oil boiler cost comparison (Ireland example)
Illustrative figures only: adjust with your own tariff, oil delivery cost, and system performance assumptions.
| Metric | Oil boiler (example) | Heat pump (example) |
|---|
| Useful heat demand | 16,000 kWh/year | 16,000 kWh/year |
| System efficiency | 82% boiler efficiency | SCOP 3.0 |
| Input energy | 19,512 kWh oil-equivalent | 5,333 kWh electricity |
| Unit energy price | EUR0.13 per kWh-equivalent | EUR0.30 per kWh |
| Estimated annual running cost | About EUR2,537 | About EUR1,600 |
SEAI grant impact and simple payback example
Grant support can materially reduce net project cost. For example, if installed cost is EUR18,000 and eligible grant support is EUR6,500, net cost is EUR11,500 before any additional upgrade works.
Using the running-cost example above, annual saving is about EUR937 (EUR2,537 minus EUR1,600). On that scenario, simple payback is roughly 12.3 years (EUR11,500 divided by EUR937), but real outcomes depend on prices, SCOP, and upgrade scope.
Sources and assumptions
Last checked: 2026-04-28. Confidence: medium.
- Electricity price range: EUR 0.28-0.37 per kWh (SEAI domestic electricity bands DA-DE, incl. VAT and tariff variation).
- Gas price range: EUR 0.10-0.15 per kWh (SEAI domestic natural-gas bands D1-D3).
- Heating oil equivalent range: EUR 0.09-0.15 per kWh equivalent (SEAI domestic fuel comparison kerosene range by appliance efficiency).
- SEAI heat pump grants
Used for: Grant rules and eligibility checks
- SEAI domestic fuel cost comparison + CRU consumer information
Used for: Energy price and market context
- SEAI BER and retrofit guidance
Used for: Efficiency, retrofit, and installer standards
Caveat: prices vary by supplier, tariff, region, standing charge, and usage. Use your live bill and tariff for final decisions.
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