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Small and medium sized businesses across the region have taken steps to improve their energy efficiency and cut costs, with help from the Business Energy Efficiency (BEE) programme.

Since the programme’s launch in spring this year, BEE has already supported 36 SMEs to help cut their carbon and identified over £200,000 in savings.

Using funding secured from the European Regional Development Fund, BEE offers a free service to help organisations identify energy saving opportunities. Businesses can also invest in capital projects that implement energy efficiency measures, with grants available up to a maximum of £20,000.

One of BEE’s recent beneficiaries, Web2market Ltd in Huntingdon, replaced its remaining traditional energy intensive fittings with LED lights following recommendations made by the programme. This has led to a predicted carbon reduction of 0.47 tonnes CO2e and estimated cost savings of over 10% in energy bills.

Nigel White, Director at the company, explains: “Web2market has benefitted from the impartial energy advice and guidance provided by BEE. The analysis made financial decisions easier, ideas that we hadn’t thought of were evaluated and good suppliers were signposted. We carried out the work and are enjoying the benefits; recommended!”

Another beneficiary, Cambridge Sensotec, is estimated to see a carbon reduction of 9.9 tonnes CO2e and cost savings of £1,870: “The energy survey report was accurate and comprehensive and we are already in the process of actioning some of the recommendations” says Mark Swetnam, Managing Director.  

The project is being delivered by the charity Peterborough Environment City Trust (PECT), in partnership with Groundwork and Nwes. 

BEE’s grant funding pot is limited and only available for a fixed period of time, so businesses are being encouraged to get in touch to find out if they are eligible sooner rather than later! To find out more and to register your interest, please visit www.beecp.co.uk, email info@beecp.co.uk or call 01733 882549.