Make your home more energy efficient

There are a number of ways to make your home more energy efficient. They can help you to keep your house warm and your bills affordable over the winter months and all year round. These are the schemes we have up and running currently. 

Whole house energy efficiency improvements

Back to top

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority 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).

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.

Visit the GMCA Retrofit Portal

About The Energy Company Obligation (ECO)

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 premises. The fourth wave of the scheme (ECO4) runs to 31 March 2026.

Compared to previous waves, ECO4 focuses on improving the least energy efficient homes, as only properties in EPC (energy performance certificate) band D-G can be treated. It also requires a more complete upgrade of those homes, shifting to a fabric-first multi-measure whole-house retrofit approach which prioritises the installation of insulation before considering other measures, such as air source heat pumps (for heating and hot water) and solar PV.

ECO4 Flexible Eligibility

The main objective of ECO is to reduce fuel poverty by improving the least energy efficient housing occupied by low income and vulnerable households. One route that can be used to identify these households is through Local Authority Flexible Eligibility or LA Flex.

Under LA Flex, a participating Local Authority can refer owner-occupiers and private tenants that it considers to be living in fuel poverty or on a low income and vulnerable to the effects of living in a cold home. To view our eligibility criteria see our statement of intent:

GMCA ECO4 Flexible Eligibility Statement of Intent

GMCA ECO4 LA Flex approved installer list

Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) have developed a list of three qualified installers who can help assess the needs of eligible households and install energy efficiency measures. Each installer has been allocated specific areas to work with.

Improveasy Ltd

Next Energy Solutions Ltd

PHS Home Solutions Ltd T/A 0800 Repair

Next steps

Working with the installers and NHS colleagues, the GMCA will be reaching out to potentially eligible residents across Greater Manchester to see if they would like to take advantage of this scheme.

Simultaneously, Greater Manchester residents who are on a low income or vulnerable can reach out directly to the installer allocated to their area to see if they are eligible.

If you’re not a low-income household

Don’t worry if you are not eligible for this scheme but you would like help with making your home more energy efficient, Your Home Better may be able to help.

Priority Service Register (PSR)

Back to top

The PSR provides extra support for vulnerable customers from energy suppliers.

Many gas and electricity suppliers offer special services to customers who are:

  • of pensionable age
  • disabled
  • suffering from a chronic illness
  • have visual or hearing impairment

For more information visit the Citizens Advice website.  

More support available

Back to top

The Warm Homes Discount (WHD)  

The Warm Homes Discount (WHD) is a £140 credit to your electricity bill; this is not paid direct to you. Each utility supplier has their own eligibility criteria and they will use this to decide who may get the discount. Check the website to see if you qualify and how to apply.

The Winter Fuel Payment

The Winter Fuel Payment is a tax free payment to people who were born on or before 5 May 1953 to help with their heating bills. Most payments are made automatically between November and December. Visit the GOV.UK website for more information. 

The Cold Weather Payment

The Cold Weather Payment is a payment you'll receive if you are in receipt of certain benefits.If eligible, you will get a payment if the average temperature in your area is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below for seven consecutive days. Check the GOV.UK website for more details.

Greater Manchester Combined Authority Flexible Eligibilty Statement of Intent from 2022

Back to top

Energy Company Obligation (ECO) funds are provided by energy suppliers to assist fuel poor, low income and vulnerable residents.

In February 2019, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) published updated guidance for local authorities on engaging with energy suppliers to identify households that would benefit from energy efficiency improvements. This maintains the ECO flexible eligibility mechanism, through which local authorities can set eligibility criteria in a Statement of Intent (SOI) to determine which fuel poor, low income and vulnerable residents are eligible for ECO flexible eligibility funds.

In Greater Manchester, it's been agreed that there will be one Statement of Intent covering all ten districts, including Trafford. Declarations of eligibility will only be issued for Greater Manchester wide or Local Authority led schemes via the affordable warmth service operating in each district.

Greater Manchester Combined Authority - Energy Company Obligation Scheme