Businesses could receive a free energy assessment
BUSINESSES in Staffordshire could receive a free energy assessment and apply for grants of up to £100,000 towards cutting carbon emissions.
Up to 300 energy efficiency assessments will be available to small and medium-sized businesses, which examine energy consumption and provide recommendations and an action plan to reduce energy usage and save money.
Following the assessment businesses will be able to apply for grants of between £1,000 and £100,000, covering up to 50 per cent of eligible costs. This funding can be put towards measures such as replacement boilers, burners, heat pumps, insulation, water management, lighting and equipment upgrades.
Staffordshire County Council has teamed up with the West Midlands Combined Authority to deliver energy assessments and grants on behalf of the Pilot Business Energy Advice Service (BEAS) programme. It will expand on the county council’s own Green Solutions programme, as part of the authority’s work to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Deputy leader and cabinet member for economy and skills Philip White, who spoke about the programme at Wednesday’s cabinet meeting, said: “This is good news. We have been approached by the WMCA to join forces in delivering this project.
“It’s a national scheme the combined authority has received a significant amount of funding for. The purpose is to assist businesses reducing their energy consumption through carbon literacy training, but also crucially with grants of up to £100,000 per business to help them decarbonise.
“That figure is quite unusual; typically these sort of schemes offer much smaller amounts of money. So this opens up a range of different opportunities, particularly for medium-sized businesses to be able to decarbonise their business in a way that’s affordable to them.
“This scheme will have £2m worth of funding for Staffordshire. It’s intended to support around 300 businesses in the county area.”
Councillor Simon Tagg, cabinet member for climate change, welcomed the scheme. He said: “I think the programme supports our drive towards net-zero, which we’re committed to as a council, but also it shows that wider leadership role we can take, collaborating not only with our public and residents but also private businesses as well.
“The point that it will stimulate investment in the green agenda and green jobs is really important. Expansion of the green economy, leading to higher skills, green jobs and growth, will be stimulated by this and that investment coming into the county.”