Low Carbon Workspaces: £5,000 energy efficiency grants for SMEs
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23rd April 2014
Corporates and larger businesses increasingly have clear targets to reduce their environmental impact and cut energy use. The Low Carbon Workspaces project with grants of up to £5,000 aims to facilitate energy efficiency in the SME sector.
The UK may be on the road to achieving the 2020 carbon reduction targets but global emissions continue to rise. The latest IPCC report warns that we need to take drastic action now to limit the worst aspects of the now seemingly inevitable changes to our climate.
Whilst meaningful steps to reduce emissions remain a challenge for all sections of society, more and more we see business leading the way. The Low Carbon Workspaces project, financed by the European Regional Development Fund, can help SMEs in the South East of England pay for energy efficiency solutions and retrofit projects designed to reduce energy use in buildings.
Businesses are addressing their environmental impacts not only because of regulations, but because it makes good financial sense. Energy costs continue to spiral, consumers are basing purchasing decisions on environmental reputation and ‘B2B’ pressure to ‘green’ supply chains is growing all the time. Jaguar Land Rover, BskyB and Unilever all focus on environmental performance as a core business strand to demonstrate values and sectorial leadership. This forward thinking demonstrates a strategic awareness that is reflected in their balance sheets.
The desire to address environmental impacts clearly exists in the SME sector: it’s understood that reducing energy consumption not only cuts carbon but can minimise operational costs, improving profitability. Barriers to action are more often than not financial, although in some cases businesses simply can’t see the opportunities to reduce overheads and on-going operation costs can get lost in the balance sheet.
James Golding-Graham, Low Carbon Workspaces project manager, says: “We’re seeing a great deal of interest in the grants from all sectors; companies have many different drivers for taking action. Whatever the motivation, a grant of up to £5,000 for energy efficiency projects makes real financial sense. For example, payback for some LED re-lamping projects can be cut to under three years with funding from the grant. Taking action in this way is a win-win for any business seeking to improve profitability and demonstrate market leadership”.
To find out more about the grants and check your businesses eligibility visit www.lowcarbonworkspaces.co.uk or call one of the Low Carbon Workspaces team on 01494 569 060 today.
Whilst meaningful steps to reduce emissions remain a challenge for all sections of society, more and more we see business leading the way. The Low Carbon Workspaces project, financed by the European Regional Development Fund, can help SMEs in the South East of England pay for energy efficiency solutions and retrofit projects designed to reduce energy use in buildings.
Businesses are addressing their environmental impacts not only because of regulations, but because it makes good financial sense. Energy costs continue to spiral, consumers are basing purchasing decisions on environmental reputation and ‘B2B’ pressure to ‘green’ supply chains is growing all the time. Jaguar Land Rover, BskyB and Unilever all focus on environmental performance as a core business strand to demonstrate values and sectorial leadership. This forward thinking demonstrates a strategic awareness that is reflected in their balance sheets.
The desire to address environmental impacts clearly exists in the SME sector: it’s understood that reducing energy consumption not only cuts carbon but can minimise operational costs, improving profitability. Barriers to action are more often than not financial, although in some cases businesses simply can’t see the opportunities to reduce overheads and on-going operation costs can get lost in the balance sheet.
James Golding-Graham, Low Carbon Workspaces project manager, says: “We’re seeing a great deal of interest in the grants from all sectors; companies have many different drivers for taking action. Whatever the motivation, a grant of up to £5,000 for energy efficiency projects makes real financial sense. For example, payback for some LED re-lamping projects can be cut to under three years with funding from the grant. Taking action in this way is a win-win for any business seeking to improve profitability and demonstrate market leadership”.
To find out more about the grants and check your businesses eligibility visit www.lowcarbonworkspaces.co.uk or call one of the Low Carbon Workspaces team on 01494 569 060 today.
