Free home energy advice for households across Greater Manchester — delivered in your home through the national LEAP programme by Low Carbon Retrofits.
Free energy advice, delivered in your home.
LEAP sends a qualified energy adviser to your door at no cost to you. We look at everything: heating, bills, damp, and benefits you might be missing. We stay until there’s a clear next step.
No catch. No sales pitch. Funded through national energy efficiency schemes.
Accredited LEAP delivery partner.
since July 2022
a crisis
until it’s done
no exceptions
“Such a well mannered, respectful, highly knowledgeable, compassionate and caring human being who advised me accordingly and went over and beyond explaining thoroughly measures and energy saving plans. He is truly a credit to LEAP and overall a fantastic human being.”Zab — Bolton, Greater Manchester
LEAP is open to more people than you’d expect.
You don’t need to be in crisis. If you’re on benefits, on a low income, or simply struggling to keep your home warm — there’s a good chance we can help. If you’re not sure, get in touch anyway.
Covering all of Greater Manchester including Bolton, Wigan, Salford, Oldham, Rochdale, Bury, Stockport, Tameside and Trafford.
Think you might qualify? Apply directly — takes under 5 minutes.
Apply for a free visit →Prefer to talk it through first?
Language barrier, not sure if you qualify, or just want to speak to someone — message or call Samir directly. He speaks English, Gujarati and Urdu.
Message Samir (Energy Adviser) Or call Samir on 07814 546 693Not sure if you qualify? Refer yourself anyway. We’d far rather check and tell you we can’t help than have you sitting at home cold because nobody sent you to us.
One visit. We don’t leave until it’s sorted.
Every free home energy advice visit is shaped around what that household actually needs. Here’s what to expect from start to finish.
You get in touch
Apply online, call, or WhatsApp Samir directly. Takes under 5 minutes. No forms to fill in advance.
We come to your home
Samir arrives with a thermal camera and damp meter. He looks at everything — not just the one thing you called about. Average visit: 76 minutes.
Measures fitted, actions started
LED bulbs fitted, radiator panels installed, draught proofing done, boiler controls sorted, tariffs switched, supplier disputes started — before Samir leaves where possible.
We follow it through
Referrals made to boiler replacement, free appliance schemes, income support and local partners. Every case followed through to completion.
We always find more than we’re called for.
A real case from a real visit — anonymised but otherwise exactly as it happened. Referred for one thing. Got much more.
Older male, living alone, with a respiratory condition. No functioning heating system.
Referred by Age UK Bolton. Gas capped years earlier, old gas fire boarded up. Surviving on a single small fan heater through winter.
No heating. No working lights. Faulty smoke alarms. Broken fridge freezer.
While funding was being secured, he was hospitalised for six days with cold-related illness. A LEAP heated throw kept him going in the meantime.
Full central heating installed. Loft insulated. New fridge freezer. Lights restored. Smoke alarms fitted.
All delivered within weeks through LEAP partnerships. A shower was subsequently fitted through the UCAN centre.
“I was unable to afford anything, didn’t know how to get help. It’s brought me to a standard of living I wasn’t able to live before. I was existing but not living. My health has improved considerably. I’m not stressed anymore.”M.L. — Greater Manchester
One visit can unlock all of this.
Everything below is free for eligible households. Click each category to see what’s included and who it’s available to.
Practical improvements fitted during the visit itself — available to every household regardless of tenure. No waiting, no referral, no follow-up needed.
- LED bulbs — up to 90% less electricity than standard bulbs
- Radiator reflector panels — push heat back into the room
- Draught excluders — fitted to doors and letterboxes
- Chimney balloons — seal unused chimneys
- Remote control sockets — easier control of heating and appliances
- Heated throws — emergency warmth where heating has failed
- Boiler controls diagnosed and reset where the issue is a simple fault
Larger interventions referred through LEAP schemes and grant funding. What’s available depends on your tenure and circumstances — Samir will assess every home individually.
Every bill is reviewed in detail during the visit. Billing errors, estimated readings running for years, smart meter faults — these are more common than most people realise and can result in thousands of pounds of incorrect debt.
- Tariff review — cheaper deals found and switching completed during the visit
- Billing errors identified and challenged directly with the supplier
- Supplier disputes resolved — Samir contacts suppliers on behalf of the household
- Ofgem back-billing protections explained — debts over 12 months cannot legally be charged
- Fuel vouchers secured through charity partners for immediate crisis support
- Debt repayment rates negotiated to manageable levels
Many households aren’t claiming everything they’re entitled to. Samir checks benefit entitlements during every visit and refers to specialist support where needed. Where damp or mould is present, the root cause is identified — not just the symptom.
- Benefit entitlement checks — Universal Credit, PIP, Attendance Allowance and more
- Referrals to IncomeMax for in-depth financial assessment
- Trust fund applications — energy supplier hardship funds and charitable grants
- Water social tariffs — discounted water bills through IncomeMax referrals
- Thermal imaging to identify cold spots, cold bridging and heat loss
- Root cause damp analysis — condensation, penetrating or rising damp
- Landlord defects documented in writing where appropriate
- Awaab’s Law guidance for social housing tenants
Working together is the only way this works.
Nobody reaches every household alone. GPs, housing officers, foodbank volunteers, school nurses, social workers — you see people every day who are cold, in debt, and struggling with energy. You might not know what to do with that. We do.
“At the end of the day, we’re both in agreement that working together is only beneficial — and as long as those who need help get help, then we’ve succeeded at our job.”
— The Wise Group, following a partnership meeting with Low Carbon RetrofitsMake a referral
Online at applyforleap.org.uk or email Samir directly. Under 5 minutes. You need: name, address, contact number, tenure and a brief reason for referral.
We handle everything from there
We contact the resident, confirm eligibility, book and deliver the visit. You don’t need to do anything more.
Written outcomes available
We can provide a full written summary of what was found and delivered for every household you refer — just let us know.
We refer back to you too
In every home we visit we find needs beyond energy. We want to know what you do so we can send people to you as well.
Ready to refer someone, or want to talk about working together?
We can set your organisation up as an approved LEAP referrer, arrange a visit to your offices, or simply have a conversation about how we can help each other reach more people.
Already referring or part of the LEAP network
Someone you know needs this visit.
It costs nothing to refer them.
Every week, households across Greater Manchester are cold, in debt, and living with damp — not knowing that help is available. GPs, housing officers, teachers, social workers and neighbours have already changed hundreds of lives with a single referral. You can too.
Free service · No cost to you or the household · Greater Manchester · Funded through national energy efficiency schemes