Heating Grants Manchester: GMCA and Heat Pump Grants

Greater Manchester does things differently. Elsewhere in England councils bid for the Warm Homes: Local Grant individually, but here the Greater Manchester Combined Authority received the funding and runs it across all ten boroughs. That means the rules for Manchester residents are set by the GMCA, not the government's standard scheme.

Manchester at a glance

How homes are heated: 67.0% of Manchester households heat with mains gas only and 18.3% (39,199 homes) with electricity only. 1.1% (2,349 homes) are on a district or communal heat network and just 193 homes use oil only. Source
Renting: Only 37.2% of Manchester households own their home. 32.3% rent privately and 29.5% rent from a council or housing association. Source
Local grant: The Greater Manchester Combined Authority runs the Warm Homes: Local Grant across all ten boroughs, in selected low-income areas only. Owner-occupiers can get up to £30,000 at full cost for insulation and low-carbon heating; gas and oil boilers are not funded. Source
Energy ratings: About 36% of homes with an EPC in Manchester are rated band D or below (median score 71, band C), against 47% across England. Based on certificates lodged in the 10 years to March 2025. Source

GMCA Warm Homes: Local Grant

Funding goes to selected neighbourhoods in the two lowest income deciles of the 2025 deprivation index, not to every address. Owner-occupied homes must be rated EPC D to G. Privately rented homes qualify at D or E, or at F or G with a registered exemption, and landlords must back the Greater Manchester Good Landlord Charter.

Owner-occupiers can get up to £15,000 for insulation and other fabric measures plus up to £15,000 for low-carbon heating, capped at £30,000 and paid at full cost. Gas and oil boilers are not eligible.

Eligible residents are contacted by delivery officers who carry photo ID. The GMCA lists Manchester's contact route as still to be confirmed.

The national heat pump grant

Anyone replacing fossil fuel heating with a heat pump can claim £7,500 for an air or ground source unit, or £2,500 for air-to-air. Your MCS certified installer applies. The installer deducts it from your bill, and our Boiler Upgrade Scheme guide covers who qualifies.

Rules for Manchester landlords

With 32.3% of Manchester homes privately rented, landlords are a big part of this. Under the GMCA scheme, a landlord's first property gets the full owner rate, while second and later properties get 50% of costs, up to £7,500 each.

Manchester homes and what they need

Victorian red-brick terraces

Solid-walled terraces are prime candidates for internal or external wall insulation, which the GMCA scheme funds.

Interwar semis in the southern suburbs

Many southern suburbs sit outside the lowest income deciles, so the national heat pump grant is more likely to apply than the local one.

City-centre apartments and mill conversions

Individual flats in large blocks rarely qualify for a heat pump. Leaseholders should also expect to need the freeholder's consent for anything on the outside.

Areas covered

Engineers who cover Manchester work across areas including Didsbury, Chorlton, Withington, Levenshulme, Fallowfield, Ancoats, Prestwich, Stretford, Sale and Wythenshawe.

View Manchester on Google Maps

Questions people in Manchester ask

Can I get a free boiler in Manchester?

Not from the GMCA scheme. Be wary of cold callers offering one, and never pay a fee to check eligibility.

How do I know if my street is in a selected area?

The GMCA picks neighbourhoods using the 2025 deprivation data and contacts households there. If you think you qualify, email the GMCA local grant team and ask whether your postcode is included.

Sources

Also nearby: Heating grants in Bolton, Heating grants in Warrington, Heating grants in Liverpool, Heating grants in Preston

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