Security and smart home
Smart heating controls
Whether this needs a licence in Ireland
No licence required
Taken from the statute below; not yet reviewed by a lawyer
Smart heating controls: what the job involves
Fitting app-controlled thermostats, zone valves, programmers and smart radiator valves so heating and hot water can be zoned, timed and controlled from a phone. SEAI grant-aids a full heating controls upgrade in older homes.
Also asked for as: smart thermostat installed · Hive installer · heating controls upgrade · SEAI heating controls grant · zone heating
How the job is usually done
- Survey the boiler or heat pump, existing controls, zone valves, cylinder and wiring centre.
- Agree the zones: upstairs, downstairs and hot water at least, with room thermostats and TRVs.
- Drain down if new motorised valves are needed, fit them and refill.
- Install the smart thermostat, receiver or hub, and wire it to the boiler and valves.
- Fit a cylinder thermostat and smart TRVs where agreed.
- Set schedules, connect the app and show the household how to use it.
Smart heating controls: what is included
Usually included
- Fitting thermostat, receiver and any agreed valves
- Wiring to the boiler, valves and cylinder thermostat
- App set-up and schedule
Usually not included — agree it separately
- Boiler repairs or servicing found to be needed
- Broadband or Wi-Fi improvements
- Grant application administration unless the installer is SEAI-registered and agrees
Materials and who supplies them
- Smart controls, either supplied by the installer or bought by the customer
- Motorised valves, cable and wiring centre, supplied by the installer
How long it takes
A smart thermostat on its own usually takes two to four hours; a full zoning upgrade with new valves takes a day.
When to book
Upgrade controls in summer, and apply for the SEAI grant before any work starts.
Smart heating controls: the rules in Ireland
What the official sources say, checked against them on the date shown. A summary, not legal advice — follow the link to read the rule itself.
For SEAI’s heating controls grant, the work must be done by an SEAI registered contractor and approved before it starts; it cannot be combined with a heat pump grant.
Applies to: the homeowner claiming the grant
Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland · seai.ie · Checked 9 October 2026
Controls are wired to the boiler’s electrical connections, but any work on a gas boiler’s gas side or combustion must be done by a Registered Gas Installer.
Applies to: the installer
Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2006; Register of Gas Installers of Ireland · rgi.ie · Checked 9 October 2026
Adding a new circuit or a new connection at the fuse board, for example a dedicated supply for a panel, recorder or doorbell transformer, is Restricted Electrical Works for a Registered Electrical Contractor.
Applies to: the installer
Electricity Regulation Act 1999 and S.I. No. 264 of 2013; Safe Electric Ireland · safeelectric.ie · Checked 9 October 2026
Grants
SEAI heating controls grant
A grant of €700 towards upgrading heating controls.
Who qualifies: Homeowners, including private landlords, whose homes were built and occupied before 2011, using an SEAI registered contractor with approval before work starts. Not available with a heat pump grant.
seai.ie · Checked 9 October 2026
What smart heating controls costs, and why
What jobs on Talqero came to
Not enough comparable jobs yet to publish a range here. Talqero shows a price range only once at least five comparable jobs, agreed prices or offers exist — a range from fewer would describe a handful of jobs, not the market. Post your job and compare the offers you get.
What affects the price
- Thermostat swap or a full zoning upgrade
- Number of zones and motorised valves to add
- Smart TRVs per radiator
- Boiler, heat pump and cylinder compatibility
- Whether the work is SEAI grant-funded
- VAT: installation work on a home is charged at the reduced 13.5% rate by a VAT-registered business, unless equipment exceeds two-thirds of the price, when the higher goods rate applies; ask whether the quote includes it
- VAT: building work on a home is charged at the reduced rate of 13.5% by a VAT-registered business — unless the materials come to more than two-thirds of the price, when Revenue’s two-thirds rule applies the goods rate to the whole job. Ask whether a quote includes VAT.
Paperwork to ask for at the end
- Wiring diagram for the new controls
- App account in the homeowner’s name
- SEAI grant documents if claiming the grant
Safety
- Isolate the boiler electrically before any wiring work.
- Keep a frost or minimum temperature setting on when away so pipes do not freeze.
Smart heating controls: before you hire
Questions to ask a tradesperson
- Are you an SEAI registered contractor for the controls grant?
- Will the upgrade give separate control of heating zones and hot water?
- Is my boiler compatible with this smart thermostat?
What you can do yourself
A plug-in smart thermostat replacing a battery stat can be DIY, but wiring into a boiler or adding valves is for a heating engineer, and only a Registered Gas Installer may open a gas boiler.
What to put in your task
- What heats your home?
- What controls do you have now?
- What do you want?
- Was the house built and lived in before 2011, and do you want the SEAI grant?
Photos that help
- The current timer or programmer and room thermostat
- The boiler and any wiring centre near it
- The hot press showing the cylinder and any valves
Smart heating controls by county
Choose your county for smart heating controls close to home.
- Smart heating controls in Dublin
- Smart heating controls in Cork
- Smart heating controls in Galway
- Smart heating controls in Kildare
- Smart heating controls in Limerick
- Smart heating controls in Meath
- Smart heating controls in Tipperary
- Smart heating controls in Donegal
- Smart heating controls in Wexford
- Smart heating controls in Kerry
- Smart heating controls in Wicklow
- Smart heating controls in Mayo
- Smart heating controls in Louth
- Smart heating controls in Waterford
- Smart heating controls in Clare
- Smart heating controls in Kilkenny
- Smart heating controls in Westmeath
- Smart heating controls in Laois
- Smart heating controls in Cavan
- Smart heating controls in Offaly
- Smart heating controls in Sligo
- Smart heating controls in Roscommon
- Smart heating controls in Monaghan
- Smart heating controls in Carlow
- Smart heating controls in Longford
- Smart heating controls in Leitrim
Security and smart home
Need smart heating controls? Describe the job.
Post it once, free. Professionals near you reply with their own price and when they could start. You choose, and pay them directly.
Questions about smart heating controls
Does smart heating controls need a licence in Ireland?
No licence is required for this work in Ireland (source: www.cru.ie). Ask instead for references and photographs of similar jobs.
Is there a grant for smart heating controls?
SEAI’s heating controls grant is available for homes built and occupied before 2011, using an SEAI registered contractor with approval before work starts. It cannot be combined with a heat pump grant.
Will a smart thermostat save money?
It helps most when the house is split into zones and hot water is controlled separately, so you only heat what you use. A single thermostat on an unzoned house saves less.
Do smart controls work with heat pumps?
Many do, but a heat pump has its own controller and works best with steady settings. Use controls the heat pump maker supports.