Homes and property Funding and support for energy improvements

Get support for your energy improvements

The grants, loans, and support services listed represent the schemes currently available that offer support for improving energy efficiency and increasing renewable energy generation in Manchester homes. 
For more detail on eligibility criteria and the levels of support offered, please see the information and links to each individual scheme. Many schemes require prior knowledge of your property’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating; check your EPC rating online.

Grants:

Home Upgrade Grant Phase 2 (HUG2): 

This funding is intended to provide low carbon heating systems such as air source heat pumps, as well as insulation measures and other technologies, such as solar panels. It's targeted at properties that do not have gas central heating and have an EPC of D or below. Residents must also meet financial criteria or live within a particular postcode to be eligible.

Delivered by: Manchester City Council (in contract with Next Energy Solutions to deliver a programme of energy efficiency upgrade works to 500 properties across Manchester by the end of March 2025.)

If you think you meet the criteria, you can check online with Next Energy Solutions to see if you're eligible, or email them direct to verify this at: info@nextenergyuk.co.uk or call them: 0800 021 3145.

Energy Company Obligation 4 (ECO4):

First introduced in 2013 as ECO, this is an energy efficiency scheme for Great Britain that places legal obligations on energy suppliers to deliver energy efficiency measures to domestic homes. ECO is managed by OfGem, and ECO4 is the latest funding round (which runs until 31 March 2026.)

ECO4 focuses on supporting the least energy efficient homes with properties requiring an EPC score of D or below. The scheme takes a 'whole house' approach, with insulation measures provided in support of others such as zero carbon heating and solar panels to ensure maximum efficiency.
Manchester City Council is working with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and Improveasy as our installation contractor to deliver ECO4 measures to Manchester residents. GMCA have developed a retrofit portal where you can check your ECO4 eligibility: you'll be referred to Improveasy if you are eligible. You can also call Improveasy direct on 0800 368 9795 to see if you're eligible or to ask further questions about the scheme. There's also more detail about the ECO4 scheme on OfGem’s website

Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS):

This scheme is part of the ECO4 funding, but is designed separately, to provide a single, most cost-effective insulation measure to a property to achieve savings on utility bills. GBIS started in Summer 2023 and runs until 31 March 2026, in line with ECO4.

There are two routes for eligibility; either the property must be in Council Tax bands A-D, or the household must be of a low income. As with ECO4, properties must have an EPC rating of D or below. You can check your GBIS eligibility online or apply for GBIS directly through central government.
 

Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS):

Since March 2022, the UK Government has been providing grants to upgrade boilers to more efficient heat pump systems. The grant will lessen the upfront costs of the low carbon heating technologies and is available to both domestic and small non-domestic properties from 2022 to 2025.

It has since been announced that the maximum grant available is now increased to £7,500 (it was previously set at £5,000) further reducing the potential for the homeowner to have to make any contribution.

If you're eligible, you must find an installer who will apply for the grant on your behalf. Find out more and check your BUS eligibility online. Or find out more about BUS on the OfGem website. Note: if you've checked and you were not eligible for ECO4 or GBIS, you may be recommended to use this funding.

Warm Homes Manchester (WHM):

The Warm Homes Manchester fund is currently on pause. If you have previously been contacted by a contractor in relation to this scheme, you may be eligible for other funding. Use the GMCA retrofit portal to check.
 

Loans and additional support:

The Home Energy Loan Plan (HELP)

We provide assistance to homeowners and some private sector landlords to carry out energy efficiency works and heating system upgrades in their homes. HELP can offer interest free loans of up to £10,000 (administration charges will apply), and the loans are typically paid back within a maximum of 7 years, or on sale of the property/death of the assisted person.

Find out more and contact Care and Repair (who administer the scheme on our behalf) through their website at Care and Repair Manchester

Your Home Better (YHB):

This is a Greater Manchester backed, independent service, providing support for any homeowner that wants to make energy improvements to their home and are not eligible for any grants. YHB provides three main services:

  • Support and referrals for property surveys
  • Support in the provision of insulation specification to provide to a contractor
  • Undertake a whole house retrofit assessment

YHB can also support with providing access to loan funding through Manchester Credit Union which offer loans at reduced interest rates compared to high street banks.  
Find out more online at the Your Home Better website.

Local Energy Advice Demonstrator (LEAD):

This is a Greater Manchester service that is provided by Groundwork Greater Manchester (Groundwork GM). If a resident has been through the GMCA retrofit portal and is found to be ineligible for some or all possible programmes, they will be referred to Groundwork GM. They, in turn, contact the resident to understand their situation further, possibly visit the property to undertake a survey, and provide in-person guidance and advice. At the moment the only way to access LEAD is through the end process of the GMCA portal.
 

Other programmes:

Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF):

In 2019 the government committed to a £3.8bn Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) over a 10-year period to improve the energy performance of social rented homes, on the pathway to Net Zero 2050. The SHDF aims to deliver warm, energy-efficient homes, reduce carbon emissions and fuel bills, tackle fuel poverty, and support green jobs. The SHDF will upgrade a significant amount of the social housing stock in England to meet an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Band C standard.

Manchester City Council, as part of a Greater Manchester-wide consortium, has successfully bid for SHDF funding to retrofit a number of homes owned by the Council. The Government funding will help us undertake a significant amount of energy efficiency work in the properties which are already due other internal and external works in the next two financial years. The SHDF programme will kick-start large-scale action for the Council’s own properties, building internal resources and skills and delivering more zero carbon works over the coming years, and work towards Manchester’s own net zero carbon by 2038 target.

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