SMEs in Salford are invited to apply for a new Energy Efficiency Grant to support delivery of energy efficiency improvement projects.
A grant of up to £5,000 is on offer from Green Economy, who have been commissioned by Greater Manchester Combined Authority to deliver funded business support programmes funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund Levelling Up project, to support the local ambition to be a net zero city-region by 2038.
Alasdair Dalzel-Job, Technical Lead at Green Economy said:
“We have seen time and again that the key barrier to net zero for businesses is accessing cashflow and capital investment to take those ‘nice to do projects’ to the top of their to do list. This grant presents a real opportunity for businesses in Salford to prioritise energy efficiency improvements in 2024.
“We have delivered a number of grants for businesses over the years, awarding over £1 million since 2018, which has helped businesses to save £2.3 million in overheads, with annual carbon savings of 5,773.63 carbon tonnes.”
The Energy Efficiency grant is available to small and medium enterprises based in Salford, providing 50 per cent of the cost to deliver projects worth up to £5,000. Eligible projects include heating equipment upgrades, replacement motors, process efficiency investments, and lighting efficiency. To qualify for the grant, projects must specify the scale of CO2e savings expected from the project.
Air source heat pumps save Salford business over £22,000
Un.Titled Studios provide studio space and production services to major clients from their site in Salford, near to MediaCityUK. The business sought support from their Sustainability and Net Zero Advisor to identify energy savings.
The business applied for a grant to replace its old, inefficient gas heaters which had been in place since 1979 and generated high gas bills for the business. They also insulated the studio walls and ceilings to reduce their heat requirement.
By replacing the old heating system with a new Air Source Heat Pump, for which they received 50 per cent grant funding, the business was able to save 69.95 tCO2, reducing their energy bill by £22,334.
Jamie Hull, Managing Director at Un.Titled Studios, said:
“Receiving funding towards our new Air Source Heat Pumps meant that the studio was able to reduce our energy consumption and, as a result, generate savings in our energy bills and carbon emissions. We saw a return on investment within six months.”
Carl Hirst, Sustainability and Net Zero Consultant at Green Economy, said:
“Replacing old, inefficient heating systems can have a huge impact on reducing energy bills as well as a business’s carbon footprint. What can be a prohibitively expensive investment for a small company, is made achievable with grant funding.”
Eligible businesses can find out more about the grant and the application process by visiting https://www.greeneconomy.co.uk/services/transition-to-net-zero/grants
