Funding available for energy efficient businesses
Funding is now available to help lower running costs for energy efficient businesses.
Telford & Wrekin Council is one of the partners in the Worcestershire County Council-led Business Energy Efficiency Programme (BEEP), which has been awarded £1.45 million funding.
This money has come from the Department for Communities and Local Government's European Regional Development Fund to help small- and medium-sized businesses.
The programme will help small and medium-sized businesses to achieve lower running costs, by reducing energy consumption and also help the environment by cutting carbon emissions.
Businesses on the programme will receive a free energy efficiency assessment review which will help businesses understand their energy usage and provide advice and recommendations on how to make improvements. This technical appraisal is equivalent of two days of business support.
Grants from £2,000 to £20,000 (maximum 40% of project costs) will also be available to help businesses undertake energy efficiency improvements such as lighting, variable speed drives and compressors, energy efficient equipment, refrigeration, renewable technologies, behavioural change programmes, feasibility studies and more.
There will also be a series of energy efficiency events working alongside local partners to provide further support and learning opportunities to businesses.
“I would encourage all businesses in the borough to look into the Business Energy Efficiency Programme, both to benefit from the support available and to consider ways in which they can be more energy efficient."
The Business Energy Efficiency Programme follows on from the successful Resource Efficient Worcestershire programme which ran from 2012 to 2015 and helped businesses receiving grants to reduce energy costs by an average 22%.
European Regional Development Funding criteria applies, so to be eligible businesses must:
• Have a turnover of less than the equivalent of 50 million Euros per annum or an annual balance sheet of less than 43 million Euros
Some industries such as primary agriculture and retail are not eligible.
