ECO4 Grants in Manchester: Funded Energy Upgrades for Tenants and Landlords
What is left of ECO4 funding for Greater Manchester landlords, and what the GMCA Flex route used to cover
ECO4 closes on 31 December 2026. GMCA says its three ECO4 Flex installers have used up their funding and it is no longer accepting new Flex applications. Ask an installer whether any standard-route funding is left before you plan around ECO4.
ECO4 (Energy Company Obligation 4) is the supplier-funded scheme for home energy improvements. In Greater Manchester the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) published a Flex Statement of Intent, which let households who did not qualify on standard benefits criteria be declared eligible. GMCA has since stopped taking new Flex applications.
This guide covers everything Manchester landlords need to know: who qualifies, what's funded, what the Flex route covered, and which other schemes are worth checking. For a broader overview of EPC compliance in Manchester, see our full Manchester landlord EPC guide.
What Is ECO4?
ECO4 is a government obligation that requires major energy companies to fund energy efficiency improvements in low-income and fuel-poor households. Unlike grants you apply to directly, ECO4 is delivered through Ofgem-approved installers who access funding on your behalf.
For private landlords, this means: if your home is rated E, F or G and the household qualifies, a funded package of improvements may be available for your property. The supplier needs your permission, and there is no per-home funding cap.
ECO4 runs until 31 December 2026. Government is ending supplier obligations, so there is no supplier-funded ECO successor. See our full ECO4 for landlords guide for the national picture.
ECO4 Eligibility in Greater Manchester
There are two routes to ECO4 eligibility in Greater Manchester. The first is the standard national benefits-based route. The second was the GMCA ECO4 Flex route, which GMCA has closed to new applications.
Benefits-Based Eligibility
ECO4 Flex: The Greater Manchester Route
ECO4 Flex allows local authorities to declare households eligible for ECO4 funding even if they do not receive qualifying benefits. In Greater Manchester the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) ran Flex for all ten districts under one Statement of Intent.
GMCA now says it is “no longer delivering the LA Flex scheme and cannot accept any new applications”, because its three installers no longer have funding for new cases. They only continue with applications already in progress. Funding comes from the energy companies, not GMCA.
What Does ECO4 Cover in Manchester?
A private rented home is covered only if the package includes solid wall insulation, first-time central heating, a district heating connection or renewable heating, and replacing a boiler is generally not eligible. The measures available also depend on what is technically suitable for your property. For Victorian terraced homes, the measures that fit that rule are:
Solid Wall Insulation
Can be part of a package for solid-walled Victorian terraces rated E, F or G where the household qualifies. The sample EPC in GOV.UK's landlord guidance lists £4,000 to £14,000 for internal or external wall insulation (indicative).
Qualifying measureFirst-Time Central Heating
A property with no central heating system can have a first-time installation as part of a qualifying package.
First-time systems onlyRenewable Heating
Where suitable, such as an air source heat pump. Replacing an existing boiler with a new boiler is generally not eligible.
Subject to suitabilityECO4 and Your EPC Rating
The EPC gain depends on the measures installed and the property's starting point, and only some common measures fit the ECO4 rule for private rented homes above. Loft and cavity wall insulation on their own are not a qualifying package. Ask the installer for the expected SAP improvement for your property before you agree to anything.
How to Apply for ECO4 in Manchester
Check eligibility
Check that the home is rated E, F or G, then whether your tenant receives a qualifying benefit. GMCA’s ECO4 Flex route is closed to new applications. If unsure, ask an installer, or see the GMCA ECO page.
Contact an Ofgem-approved ECO4 installer
Approved installers handle the application on your behalf. Find registered installers via the TrustMark directory, or call the GOV.UK home energy advice line (0800 098 7950). Get at least two quotes, and ask in writing what, if anything, you must pay.
Property survey
The installer will survey your property to confirm which measures are technically suitable and what SAP improvement they will deliver.
ECO4 application submitted
The installer submits the ECO4 application to the energy company on your behalf.
Works completed
The installer schedules the installation after approval. Ask for a timetable in writing, and allow for tenancy changeovers.
Manchester ECO4 Contacts
Which Greater Manchester Boroughs Are Covered?
GMCA’s ECO4 Flex Statement of Intent covered all ten Greater Manchester districts, and GMCA ran the scheme centrally for them. Flex is now closed to new applications in every one:
Combining ECO4 With Other Manchester Grants
Other Manchester and national schemes may be open to you alongside ECO4. Each has its own eligibility rules, so check them one by one.
Warm Homes Local Grant (Greater Manchester)
The Warm Homes: Local Grant is England only and delivered by councils from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2028. Cost caps are £16,600 per home for energy performance and £16,600 for low carbon heating, averaged across a council's project. A landlord gets one home fully funded, then pays at least 50% for each further home, and privately rented homes rated F or G need a registered exemption. GMCA runs it as an area-based scheme: residents of selected areas are contacted. Under landlord eligibility, GMCA's Local Grant page (accessed October 2026) lists “Private landlords who are supporters of the Greater Manchester Good Landlord Charter”. GMCA publishes its own funding limits on the same page.
Warm Homes Local Grant guide →Manchester Home Energy Loan Plan
Manchester City Council says its Home Energy Loan Plan offers interest free loans of up to £10,000 (administration charges apply) to homeowners and some private sector landlords, typically repaid within a maximum of 7 years, and that Manchester Care and Repair administers it. Ask whether your property and tenancy qualify. It may help with the landlord contribution for works that ECO4 does not fully fund.
Council loan pageBoiler Upgrade Scheme (National)
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme covers England and Wales and landlords are eligible. It gives £7,500 towards an air source or ground source heat pump, with different amounts for biomass boilers and air-to-air heat pumps.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme guide →Frequently Asked Questions
Can landlords apply for ECO4 in Manchester?
Yes. Landlords can benefit from ECO4 if their tenant meets the eligibility criteria (qualifying benefits) and the supplier has the landlord's permission. GMCA’s ECO4 Flex route is closed to new applications. You do not apply directly: your installer handles the application. The property must currently have an EPC rating of E, F or G.
What if my tenant does not receive any qualifying benefits?
GMCA’s ECO4 Flex Statement of Intent (version 5) let it declare some of these households eligible, for example on a gross income below £31,000. GMCA says it is no longer accepting new Flex applications because its installers have used up their funding. Ask an installer about any other route that is still open, and see the Warm Homes: Local Grant below.
How long does ECO4 take from application to completion?
It varies by installer, so ask for a timetable in writing. Because ECO4 closes on 31 December 2026, start early and allow for tenancy changeovers.
Is ECO4 ending?
Yes: ECO4 runs until 31 December 2026 (Ofgem). Government is ending supplier obligations, so there is no supplier-funded ECO successor. It has committed £1.5 billion of additional grant funding for upgrading low-income households (GOV.UK). Installations need to be finished by the closing date, so do not plan around ECO4 funding without written confirmation from an installer.
Will ECO4 improvements improve my EPC rating?
The gain depends on the measures installed and the property's starting point. Ask the installer for the expected SAP improvement for your property before you agree to a package.
Can ECO4 fund solid wall insulation for a Victorian terrace?
It can, if the home is rated E, F or G and the household qualifies. ECO4 has no per-home funding cap, so ask the installer in writing what, if anything, you must contribute (the sample EPC in GOV.UK's landlord guidance lists £4,000 to £14,000 for internal or external wall insulation, as an indicative figure). The Manchester Home Energy Loan Plan or the Warm Homes: Local Grant may help with a gap, if you are eligible. Get a survey to understand the position for your property.
Want to know what upgrades your Manchester property needs?
Use our property cost estimator to understand likely costs before applying for ECO4 funding.