Grant funding has been made available to help small and medium-sized businesses in Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Hertfordshire and Northamptonshire reduce the energy  consumption and carbon emissions at their commercial premises. 

The Low Carbon Workspaces programme is delivering grants of between £1,000 and £5,000 to SMEs  to help fund up to one-third of the cost of energy-saving measures. Eligible projects include LED  lighting, energy-efficient machinery upgrades, renewable energy systems (e.g. solar panels), heating  and cooling upgrades and more. 

Programme Manager Daniel Cope explains:  

‘These grants are intended to help businesses implement positive changes to ensure that they are  working towards building a more sustainable future – and saving money. 

‘We understand that the nature of the manufacturing and engineering industry means many  businesses have a consistently high energy demand due to energy-intensive machinery operating for long hours at a time. Not only is this costly for the business, it’s also damaging for the planet.’ 

Daniel continues: 

‘Investing in renewable energy systems such as solar panels will allow these types of businesses to  generate some of their energy demand onsite. Similarly, replacing old and inefficient machinery,  lighting systems or heating systems are great ways to reduce overheads and cut carbon emissions. Adopting low-carbon technologies can result in a host of additional benefits such as increased staff  productivity and greater operational efficiencies.’ 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses have struggled to implement energy improvement measures despite increasing energy costs. Businesses in the aforementioned regions  can now lower the upfront capital cost of measures, shorten their return on investment period, and  build a more sustainable future with the help of a Low Carbon Workspaces grant.  

Businesses can check their eligibility for a grant, and identify suitable projects, at  www.lowcarbonworkspaces.co.uk.
The Low Carbon Workspaces team can be contacted on 01494 927 131 and at  info@lowcarbonworkspaces.co.uk.

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