The 2026 Manchester Homeowner’s Guide to the Warm Homes Plan: How to Get a New Roof (and Save on Bills)

If you live in Greater Manchester, you know that our roofs have a hard life. From the relentless horizontal rain of a classic Mancunian Tuesday to the increasingly frequent flash storms like Storm Goretti at the start of 2026, your roof is the only thing standing between you and the North West weather.

But as we move further into 2026, your roof is no longer just about keeping the rain out—it’s about keeping the heat in. With the 2026 Warm Homes Plan now in full swing and new energy efficiency standards taking effect, there has never been a more critical (or financially savvy) time to look up and assess your tiles.

The Warm Homes Plan is a landmark government initiative aimed at tackling fuel poverty and upgrading the UK's aging housing stock. For homeowners in Manchester—where over 50% of properties still have an EPC rating of D or lower—this plan is a game-changer.

Can You Get a Grant?

Under the Warm Homes: Local Grant (which replaced the old Home Upgrade Grants), eligible households in the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) can access funding for energy-efficiency measures.

Eligibility: Usually applies to households with an annual income of £36,000 or less, or those living in specific "deprived" postcodes.

The Benefit: If your home has an EPC rating of D, E, F, or G, you may be eligible for up to £15,000 in upgrades, which can include high-spec roof insulation and even solar panel integration.

Even if you don't qualify for a full grant, the ECO4 scheme and Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) continue to offer subsidised loft and "room-in-roof" insulation for many semi-detached and terraced homes across Salford, Bury, and Stockport.

Before you commit to a new roof, use this checklist to see if you can claim back thousands of pounds through the Warm Homes Plan or the ECO4 scheme.

Step 1: Preliminary "Quick Check"

• Is your household income £36,000 or less? (This is the standard threshold for many 2026 local grants).
• Does someone in your home receive benefits? (Universal Credit, Pension Credit, and Child Benefit are all common qualifiers).
• Check your EPC Rating: Visit the GOV.UK find-energy-certificate service. Is your home rated D, E, F, or G? If so, you are in the "Primary Target" group for funding.
• Are you in a "Priority Postcode"? Many parts of Salford, Moss Side, and Gorton are pre-qualified for funding regardless of income.

Step 2: Questions for the Manchester City Council / GMCA

• Does Greater Manchester have any remaining allocation for the Warm Homes: Local Grant this quarter?
• Is there a 'LA Flex' (Local Authority Flexibility) scheme currently active for residents who earn slightly over the income threshold but have high energy bills?
• Can you provide a list of your 'Approved Retrofit Coordinators' for the Manchester area?

Step 3: Questions for Your Roofer (Eligibility Focused)

• Are you PAS 2035 certified? (Installers MUST have this accreditation to work on grant-funded projects in 2026).
• Will you provide the Retrofit Assessment report required by the council, or do I need to hire an independent assessor first?
• Does your quote include the 'Ventilation Upgrade' required by building regs when adding thick insulation? (Government grants often insist on adding trickle vents or fans to prevent damp when a roof is made airtight).