Get support for your energy improvements
Funding and support for energy improvements.
The grants, loans, and support services listed represent the current available schemes that offer support for improving energy efficiency and increasing renewable energy generation in Manchester homes as of July 2024.
For more detail on eligibility criteria and the levels of support offered, please see information and links to each individual scheme. Many schemes require prior knowledge of your property’s energy performance certificate (EPC) rating. You can find an energy certificate on the government's website.
Grants
Home Upgrade Grant Phase 2 (HUG2)
The Home Upgrade Grant Phase 2 (HUG2) ran from November 2023 to November 2024 and is now closed to applications.
Future funding opportunities for owner occupiers and private rented residents are being reviewed as part of the GMCA Devolution funding. This webpage will be updated once more information is available.
Energy Company Obligation 4 (ECO4)
The Energy Company Obligation (ECO), first introduced in 2013, 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 and runs until 31 March 2026.
ECO4 focuses on supporting the least energy efficient homes with property’s requiring an EPC score of D or below. The scheme takes a “whole house” approach with insulation measures provided in support of other measures 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 residents can check their eligibility and will be referred to Improveasy if eligible.
Improveasy can also be contacted directly on 0800 368 9795 or by email at info@improveasy.com to see if you are eligible and to ask further questions about the scheme.
There is also more information on the scheme on OfGem’s website.
Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS)
The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) is part of the ECO4 funding, but is designed to just 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 also have an EPC rating of D or below. Eligibility can be checked on GMCA’s retrofit portal as above, and Improveasy will be in touch if you are eligible.
Eligibility can also be checked directly through central government, Apply for support from the Great British Insulation Scheme. Please note that through this route you will have to find your own installer and you may have to make a financial contribution to the work.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS)
Since March 2022 the UK Government has been operating a scheme to provide 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.
In September 2023, it was announced that the maximum grant available has been increased from £5,000 to £7,500, further reducing the potential for the homeowner to have to make any contribution.
You must find an installer who will then apply for the grant on your behalf. For more information and to check your eligibility please visit Apply for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. More information can also be found on the OfGem website.
GMCA also have partnerships with Daikin and Octopus who are heat pump providers with preferential rates for GM residents. More information about accessing these services can be found on the GMCA website -
Loans and additional support
The Home Energy Loan Plan (HELP)
The Council provides assistance to homeowners and some private sector landlords to carry out energy efficiency works and heating system upgrades in their homes. The Home Energy Loan Plan 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.
You can find out more and contact Care and Repair who administer the scheme on the Council’s behalf.
Your Home Better (YHB)
This is a Greater Manchester backed independent service that provides support for any homeowner that wants to make energy improvements to their home and are ineligible 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.
More detailed information on each of these services can be found on the Your Home Better website.
Feel the Benefit
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. Groundwork GM will then contact the resident to understand their situation further and may visit the property to undertake a survey and provide in person guidance and advice.
You can also contact Groundwork GM directly at 0800 090 3638 or Energyworks@groundwork.org.uk
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) B and 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.