This programme has now ended and all EA’s have been allocated.
Green Solutions funded by BEAS
The Business Energy Advice Service (BEAS) was a pilot scheme led by West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and funded by the UK Government through the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). The programme was aimed at help businesses reduce energy costs and drive growth by providing free energy assessments. There was no payback required, with the intention to aid businesses. Staffordshire County Council was the lead delivery partner for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, and the Green Solutions Team offered support with the following:
- Energy Assessments: This FREE Energy Assessment looked at energy consumption and provided recommendations to save money.
Energy Assessment
The SME business’ Energy Assessment, was delivered by the independent energy consultant specialists, Pro Enviro Ltd, and was completely free of charge, if the business:
- Business Activity: Companies must be officially registered (on Companies House) and active for at least 12 months in the same premise, with financial records demonstrating operational activity. (Unfortunately, we cannot support businesses whose primary business activity is in the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing area.)
- Business Type: Must be a commercial entity or profit-seeking enterprise, such as a partnership, limited company, or Community Interest Company (CIC). Sole traders are not eligible.
- Commercial Address: Businesses must operate from a registered commercial address and not a residential property. This must be from a premise in a Staffordshire or Stoke-on-Trent Local Authority area.
- Energy Bill Responsibility: Applicants must be responsible for paying their business energy bills for at least 12 months.
- Energy Consumption: Businesses must use a minimum of 25,000 kWh of energy (electricity and/or gas) annually.
- SME Classification: Businesses must have fewer than 250 employees and an annual turnover of less than €50 million, or a balance sheet total under €43 million.
- Subsidy & Schemes: Has not received over £315,000 in subsidies in the current and previous two financial years (financial year being 1 April to 31 March), and has not participated in ESOS.
The Energy Assessment was fully subsidised. This means that the recipient business, did not need to contribute any finance towards it.
Examples of technologies that were recommended in the Energy Assessment
Each of the recommendations that a business could have received was subject to the individuality of each business and technologies recommended. Previous grant funding included:
- Compressors
- Controls
- Cooling
- Equipment upgrades
- Heating (replacement boilers, burners, heat pumps)
- Hot water efficiency measures
- Humidification
- Insulation
- Lighting (LED, controls, sensors)
- Other buildings measures e.g. glazing
- Recycling & Waste (compactors, balers & crushers)
- Refrigeration
- Retrofitting for the purpose of installing a heat pump
- Small appliances
- Solar PV and batteries
- Submetering
- Ventilation (fans, distribution, destratification fans)
- Water management
Terms & Conditions for Standard Energy Assessments
If you would like to know more about Energy Assessments, please contact us at lowcarbon@staffordshire.gov.uk or call us on 01785 854500.
