The latest research by Switcher reveals the counties with the most eco-friendly homes in Ireland.
As more households take advantage of government grants and prioritise warmer, more energy-efficient homes, Switcher’s study ‘Ireland’s Greenest Homes’ analyses and ranks the counties with the most sustainable houses in Ireland.
Though this year’s study showed a 3% drop in recycling levels and a 24% decline in newly registered electric cars in 2024, there was a surge in households retrofitting their homes and using cleaner, renewable energy.
Since last year’s study, we found that:
Wicklow earned the top spot as the county with the greenest homes in the country for the second year running. It boasted the best recycling numbers and solar panel installations in 2024 and ranked second best for warmest homes and EV adoption.
In 2024, the county saw a 14% jump in SEAI solar panel installations and a 34% increase in homes with BER ratings of B2 or higher.
Runner-up, Meath boasts some of the highest numbers of homes with solar energy, BER ratings above B2, electric cars and SEAI property upgrades in 2024.
Wicklow, Meath, Galway, Louth, Wexford, Cork, Kildare, Dublin, Kerry, and Mayo were the top ten counties with the most sustainable homes.
Galway climbed from number ten to number three in this year’s index, with significant increases in sustainable measures. It had the second-highest amount of recycled waste and was ranked third best for roof insulation in 2024.
Louth and Mayo were two newcomers to this year’s top 10, and despite having lower-than-average incomes and populations than other counties, both excelled across many of the areas in our study.
Louth ranked fifth for homes with high BERs. In 2024, there was a 52% jump in homes with a BER of B2+ compared to the previous year, with a total of 3,156 new properties achieving the grade.
Here’s a snapshot of the main stats:
| COUNTY | REGISTERED EVS | B2+ PROPERTIES | SOLAR INSTALLATIONS | KG OF RECYCLING |
| Wicklow | 4.3 per 1,000 (663) | 74.4 per 1,000 (11,580) | 19.6 per 1,000 (3,049)1 | 89kg per household |
| Meath | 3.3 per 1,000 (723) | 71.9 per 1,000 (15,849) | 18.6 per 1,000 (4,117) | 155kg per household |
| Galway | 1.8 per 1,000 (506) | 43.9 per 1,000 (12,155) | 16.3 per 1,000 (4,517) | 129kg per household |
| Louth | 2.5 per 1,000 (341) | 65.9 per 1,000 (9,178) | 29.8 per 1,000 (4,881) | 169kg per household |
| Wexford | 2.6 per 1,000 (433) | 49.8 per 1,000 (8,144) | 17.5 per 1,000 (2,871) | 134kg per household |
| Cork | 2.8 per 1,000 (1,630) | 55 1,000 (32,036) | 13.9 per 1,000 (8,111) | 147kg per household |
| Kildare | 4.2 per 1,000 (1,025) | 81.5 per 1,000 (20,141) | 16 per 1,000 (3,965) | 80kg per household |
| Dublin | 6.2 per 1,000 (9,037) | 68 per 1,000 (98,739 ) | 10.5 per 1,000 (15,345) | 376kg per household |
| Kerry | 1.4 per 1,000 (213) | 41.7 per 1,000 (6,487) | 14 per 1,000 (2,176) | 165kg per household |
| Mayo | 1 per 1,000 (141) | 33.6 per 1,000 (4,614) | 13.3 per 1,000 (1,835) | 114kg per household |
Sligo took the top spot for homes using renewable energy. It had the highest number of SEAI heat pumps, a significant number of SEAI solar panel energy grants in 2023, and the second-highest number of homes using solar power.
The top five counties for homes using renewable energy included Sligo, Meath, Wexford, Tipperary and Kerry.
In 2024, the SEAI completed almost 54,000 home energy upgrades, up 13% year over year. Meath had the most SEAI property upgrades per 1,000 in 2024, followed closely by the counties of Louth and Wexford. The top five counties for homes
receiving SEAI grants were Meath, Louth, Wexford, Mayo, and Galway.
Carlow, Tipperary, Wexford and Meath saw the biggest increases in property upgrades in 2024, growing by 40% (or 220 upgrades), 30% (or 506 upgrades), 27% (or 501 upgrades), and 26% (or 560 upgrades), respectively.
Kildare maintained the top spot among counties with the most energy-efficient homes in the country. To determine who had the warmest homes, we ranked counties with the most properties with a BER rating of B2 or more.
Other highly rated counties included Kildare, Wicklow, Meath, Dublin, and Louth.
Nationwide, homes with BERs of B2 or higher jumped by an average of 33%.
Westmeath, Limerick, Roscommon and Louth saw the most significant increases in warm homes, and the county with the largest increase – Westmeath – grew by 71%.
Dublin County took the top spot for electric car ownership again this year.
A combination of factors—including the cost-of-living crisis, concerns about public charging infrastructure, and a reduction in government incentives—has contributed to declining EV sales. In 2024, the nationwide average of newly registered electric vehicles dropped 24%, with more rural counties like Cavan, Sligo, Leitrim, and Clare seeing the biggest decreases.
However, the counties with the largest EV adoption have remained unchanged since last year’s study, and they include Dublin, Wicklow, Kildare, Meath, and Kilkenny.
Commercial Director of Switcher.ie, Eoin Clarke says: “Though EV take-up and recycling dipped slightly, 2024 saw a surge of households making their homes warmer, cleaner and more energy efficient.
Energy costs have remained volatile, and as potential price increases hover on the horizon, our study found significant improvements in BER ratings, SEAI property upgrades and solar installations across the country.
While Wicklow and Meath took first and second place in this year’s index, and Galway climbed to third, it was encouraging to see rural spots like Carlow, Longford, and Westmeath show some of the largest gains. Louth jumped to fourth place this year thanks to a standout number of grants and warm homes in 2024.
Upgrading a home’s energy efficiency can come with steep upfront costs, so we’d encourage homeowners to take advantage of any government schemes or loan initiatives on offer. From SEAI grants to the newly launched Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme, there’s a raft of support available for homeowners seeking to reduce their carbon footprint and save money.”
