PTSB launches market leading rate of 2.99% and reductions of up to 0.56% on SBCI Home Energy Upgrade Loans

• PTSB is also launching a new bespoke Home Upgrade Tool which provides homeowners with personalised upgrade packages from full retrofit to individual measures e.g. attic insulation

15 January 2026 – PTSB has today announced it is reducing variable interest rates for Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) Home Energy Upgrade Loans by up to 0.56%, including a new market-leading rate of 2.99% for loans of €50,000 to €75,000.

The rate reductions apply across all four of the loan amounts and come into effect from today Thursday, 15 January 2026:

• A rate of 4.15% (down 0.4%) for loan amounts of €5,000 - €14,999;
• A rate of 3.75% (down 0.4%) for loans of €15,000 - €24,999;
• A rate of 3.35% (down 0.5%) for loans of €25,000 - €49,999 and;
• A rate of 2.99% (down 0.56%) for loans of €50,000 - €75,000.

New Home Upgrade Tool

Separately, PTSB has also announced today that it is launching a market-leading Home Upgrade Tool. This bespoke online tool allows homeowners to plan the specific home energy upgrade options suitable for their home based on their Building Energy Rating (BER). The Home Upgrade Tool then recommends a suite of retrofit packages ranging from a deep retrofit to individual measures such as attic insulation or solar PV installation.

PTSB is the first lender in the Irish market to introduce a home upgrade tool with this level of retrofit package functionality and customisation capability. The Home Upgrade Tool delivers property-specific insights using data sourced from the SEAI (Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland) National BER database. Over 50% of all homes in Ireland have a BER, however if your home does not have a BER or you cannot find the BER details, the Home Upgrade Tool uses a purpose-built model to approximate the BER of your home based on location and the answers you provide to some simple questions.  The Home Upgrade Tool enables customisation whereby customers can select and deselect measures to create a bespoke package tailored to their property and budget.   

It enables homeowners to:

• Understand which retrofit measures are suitable for their home  
• Estimate the specific costs of retrofitting and energy savings that can be achieved
• Learn about SEAI grant eligibility
• Understand the difference between One Stop Shop and individual measure approaches
• Get a personalised Home Upgrade Report with an overview of a home’s energy performance and potential upgrades
• Calculate what retrofit measures are required to become eligible for a green mortgage
• Enquire about availing of PTSB’s home energy upgrade loans and green mortgages.

Learn more about PTSB’s Home Upgrade Tool 

PTSB Chief Customer and People Officer, Ger Mitchell, said:

 “We know that colder weather prompts our customers to start planning improvements to make their homes warmer and more energy efficient.

That is why PTSB is introducing new market-leading rates for home energy loans, designed to help our customers take the next steps toward reducing energy bills and improving comfort.

 We are also delighted to announce our new Home Upgrade Tool which makes it easy for homeowners to plan their home energy retrofit journey, identify benefits and understand more fully what is required to improve their homes.”

SBCI Head of Lending, Colin Moran, said:

“The Government-backed Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme is a vital initiative that supports and incentivises homeowners to enhance the energy efficiency of their homes, through the availability of more affordable loans. By reducing rates at which homeowners can borrow to make such energy upgrades, PTSB is broadening the reach of the Scheme and making it more attractive for homeowners to plan and action energy upgrade works. We welcome today’s announcement and look forward to continuing to work with PTSB in supporting homeowners to achieve significant energy savings over time.”

About the SBCI Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme

PTSB was the first financial institution in Ireland to offer loans to homeowners under the SBCI Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme, which was launched in April 2024 to provide lower cost loans to help homeowners to invest in energy efficiency, making their homes warmer, healthier and cheaper to run.

The scheme is delivered by the SBCI on behalf of the Department of Climate, Energy and Environment, and supported by the SEAI and the European Investment Bank (EIB). 

The loans can be used by homeowners who want to improve the energy performance of their homes ranging from simple upgrades right up to a deep retrofit. In order to avail of the low-cost loans, the upgrade projects must be supported by an SEAI grant and be projected to achieve a minimum 20% improvement in the Building Energy Performance (BER) of the building.

As an added benefit, households may also qualify for a lower cost green mortgage in the future if they use their low-cost retrofit loan to improve their BER rating up to the required level.

The scheme is open to homeowners undertaking home energy upgrades using an SEAI-registered One Stop Shop or Community Project Co-ordinator.

Notes to Editor: 

1. This is a media release which covers the main points of this announcement, but it does not provide detail on every aspect of the changes. Customers should contact the Bank for further details. Terms and conditions apply on PTSB products.
2. The loan must be used for the purposes of upgrading the energy efficiency and de-carbonisation of the home, this means:

• At least 75% of the home energy upgrade loan needs to be used on eligible items including fabric upgrades (e.g. insulation) and / or renewable energy solutions (e.g. heat pumps).
• A maximum of 25% of the loan can be used for ancillary expenses excluding any form of fossil fuel boilers.
• The upgrades need to result in at least a 20% improvement in your home’s energy efficiency, your SEAI registered One Stop Shop or Community Project Co-ordinator will assess this for you. 
• Loans are available for amounts from €5,000 up to a maximum of €75,000 per property for terms from 1 year to a maximum of 10 years.
• Customers can apply for SBCI Home Energy Upgrade loans in respect of up to a maximum of three Relevant Properties.

If you think you meet the above criteria then the next step is to engage with an SEAI registered One Stop Shop or Community Project Co-ordinator.

   3. PTSB has developed the Home Upgrade Tool with our trusted technology partner Prime19, the Irish-based data infrastructure and analytics firm.