Making your home more energy efficient can make it warmer, lower your energy bills, and contribute to making Greater Manchester a greener, fairer place to live.
Greater Manchester Combined Authority and its partners are there to help you make these changes. They offer personalised advice to help you understand what improvements your home might need. They can also identify if you qualify for free or discounted upgrades, based on your situation. Anyone living in Greater Manchester can check their eligibility now by visiting the online eligibility checker.
Energy Company Obligation Scheme (ECO4 and ECOFlex)
The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) is an energy efficiency scheme for Great Britain that places legal obligations on energy suppliers to deliver energy efficiency measures to domestic premises. The fourth wave of the scheme (ECO4) runs to 31 March 2026.
Measures such as insulation, air source heat pumps, and solar PV are available free of charge to low-income or vulnerable owner-occupiers and private tenants who meet the eligibility criteria.
Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has put in place a list of three qualified installers to deliver whole house energy efficiency improvements funded by the Energy Company Obligation Local Authority Flexible Eligibility Scheme (ECO4 LA Flex).
Anyone living in Greater Manchester can check their eligibility and apply by visiting the Greater Manchester Energy Scheme retrofit portal.
Further information about ECO4 is available on the Greater Manchester Combined Authority webpages.
Your Home Better is an independent service delivered by retrofit experts, providing advice, planning and delivery to help reduce the costs of your bills as well as carbon emissions associated with home energy and heating.
Experts can deliver a ‘whole house’ assessment of homes and provide homeowners with a bespoke plan – giving them information about how their home’s energy performance can be upgraded, what needs to be done and in what order. Your Home, Better does not offer grants or funding, but can identify sources that could help towards the costs of home energy projects.
Find out more and get in touch via the Your Home Better website.
Gas safety checks are available for boilers, fires, and cookers for vulnerable owner occupiers who have a reasonable concern and are unable to fund a check by a Gas Safe Registered Engineer.
If necessary, repairs to the gas appliance maybe carried out up to a value of £500 by one of the qualified Gas Safe heating engineers working with the Home Improvement Assistance Team on this scheme.
For further details please email the Home Improvement Assistance team hia@salford.gov.uk.
Please note: grants are only available from the council while funds permit.
Should you require a Gas Safe Engineer you can telephone for free on 0800 408 5500 or visit the Gas Safe Register website, where you can also find further help and advice.
Local Energy Advice Programme (LEAP)
LEAP is a completely free service for owner-occupiers and tenants. The scheme can help you save money and keep your home warm and cosy.
The LEAP scheme can:
- Check if you are on the cheapest energy tariffs.
- Install free simple energy saving measures.
- Give you day-to-day energy efficiency hints and tips
- Arrange free telephone advice to help with benefits, debt and other money problems.
- Refer you for further energy efficiency improvements, such as loft insulation or a new boiler.
You may be eligible for the LEAP service if you are in receipt of a qualifying benefit.
Call LEAP on 0800 060 7567 or apply online.
The government’s warm homes discount scheme automatically gives you a discount on your electricity bill. You may be able to get the discount on your gas bill instead if your supplier provides you with both gas and electricity and you’re eligible. Contact your supplier to find out.
If you think you should have received the discount but haven't, please contact your electricity supplier or call the Warm Homes Discount scheme helpline on 0800 030 9322.
If you’re struggling to pay your bills, please ask for help as soon as possible.
Speak to your energy provider and ask how they can help you.
Salford Foundation can provide energy efficiency information, advocacy and support to help low-income adults and young people and vulnerable service users living in Salford to reduce their utility bills and improve energy efficiency in their homes. They may be able to assist you on switching providers to maximise household incomes and may also be able to exchange pre-pay gas and electric meters for credit meters, potentially saving hundreds of pounds per year. Visit the website or call 0161 787 8500 or email juliewilliams@salfordfoundation.org.uk
Or contact Salford City Council’s Welfare Rights and Debt Advice team or call the debt advice line on 0800 345 7323 Mondays and Wednesdays from 1pm to 4pm or ask for help via their online form.
If you need emergency help with fuel costs Salford Assist may be able to help.
Please also see our cost of living pages with details of a wide range of help.
Changing who provides your gas or electricity or both could save you money.
Comparison sites are a useful way to get started when shopping around for energy. All the Ofgem approved sites listed below are independent, and the options and prices you find on them should be calculated and displayed in a fair and unbiased way - meaning you can be a confident energy shopper.
Websites
For a wide range of information on energy costs, tips for saving money and how to change your supplier please visit the Citizens Advice website.