Businesses in Staffordshire aiming to reduce energy costs, identify potential savings and invest in expansion can benefit from a free expert advice programme.
Staffordshire County Council has just launched its Energy Efficiency Advice service for businesses. The council’s Staffordshire Business and Environment Network (sben) is encouraging eligible businesses to apply for advice on reducing energy consumption and costs, identify potential savings and become investment ready.
Businesses looking to improve energy efficiency, understand usage and explore future energy improvement projects can also benefit from the free advice. The service has been launched in partnership with sector experts Green Lark Environmental Solutions.
Robin Hall, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Economy and Skills, said:
Energy is a significant cost for many businesses, so understanding where it is being used and where savings can be made will have a real impact on the bottom line.
Our Staffordshire Business and Environment Network team, working with specialists Green Lark Environmental Solutions, will provide practical advice tailored to each business, its premises and operations.
This free support could help businesses reduce costs, plan future improvements and put more money back into growing their operations. It may also help them become ready for future investment opportunities, including our Scale Up Staffordshire loan programme.
It is another example of the practical, joined-up support our teams are providing to help Staffordshire businesses become more productive, competitive and resilient.”
To qualify for the free advice, businesses need to be located in non-domestic premises in Staffordshire (excluding Stoke-on-Trent), be a sole trader, micro-business or SME, have responsibility for payment of their own energy bills and use at least 8,000 kWh of combined gas and electricity annually.
Daniel Cope is the principal consultant at Green Lark Environmental Solutions. He said:
Green Lark’s assessment looks at 15 distinct areas of a business, from building fabric and heating systems to lighting, refrigeration and solar feasibility, so every recommendation is grounded in the full picture.
Energy costs are one of the few overheads a business can genuinely control, and our job is to show exactly where, and how.
Across previous assessments, we’ve identified savings of up to 30 per cent through detailed modelling and evidence‑based analysis.
For a typical small business using around 3,000 kWh of electricity and 12,000 kWh of gas each year, that’s an annual energy spend of up to £4,900.
This support is fully funded, so it was never a question of whether a business can afford to take part. With energy costs where they are, the real question is whether they can afford not to.”
The sben Energy Efficiency Advice project runs to March 2027, but places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
For more information or to apply for a place, people should visit the scheme webpage.
