BEE is hosting an event in partnership with Fenland District Council on Wednesday 30th May, 10am-12noon, at The Boathouse Business Centre in Wisbech. Businesses can sign up to attend the free event at www.beecp.org/blog
Pike Textiles, which produces handcrafted pattern books for the textile industry, was keen to understand how its team might be able to improve energy efficiency at their site and requested the support of one of BEE’s energy advisors.
Following a site visit, Pike Textiles submitted a grant application to BEE towards the costs of installing LED lighting and were successful in securing a £1,324 contribution towards project costs.
The grant has enabled Pike Textiles to replace the existing fluorescent lighting with more efficient LED lights, which will cut energy consumption by 75%, saving the business a further £1,000 per year - a payback period of under 3 years.
Commenting on receiving the grant, Jon Allen, Managing Director at Pike Textiles said, “I am delighted with improvements that have been made to our lighting system following the consultation with BEECP. It has significantly improved the work environment for our staff, where the ability to be able to read small text in a consistent light is very important. As a result of these changes I expect to see improvements in quality and productivity’’.
Since the Business Energy Efficiency (BEE) programme launched in Spring 2017, the programme has supported 115 SMEs to identify cost savings of over £684,000 and potential carbon reductions of over 3,500t.
Using funding secured from the European Regional Development Fund, BEE offers a free audit service to help small and medium sized enterprises identify energy saving opportunities. Businesses who look to invest in capital projects to improve energy efficiency can access a grant scheme offering up to £20,000 in financial support.
The project is being delivered by the environmental charity PECT, in partnership with Groundwork and Nwes.
To find out more and to register your interest, please visit www.beecp.org, email [email protected] or call 01733 882549.
Image: From left, Warren Pope, BEE senior advisor, Andrew Pike, sales director Pike Textiles, chief executive at PECT Carly Leonard
About Business Energy Efficiency Cambridge & Peterborough:
The Business Energy Efficiency Cambridge & Peterborough programme (BEECP) aims to provide support and grants to small businesses to help catalyse investment in energy efficiency initiatives, to reduce carbon emissions and realise the associated business benefits including; reduced operating costs, increased competitiveness, business growth and resilience.
The project is offering two strands of support to help businesses improve energy efficiency:
- Energy Reviews - A fully funded on-site review to help identify, prioritise and quantify opportunities for cost and carbon savings for businesses. Additional support will be available to help businesses identify specific solutions and products, with detailed feasibility studies as required.
- Capital Grants - Qualifying businesses may be able to apply for a capital grant – up to a maximum of 25% or £20,000, whichever is the lower - to help catalyse investment in products and solutions that will reduce energy use.
The project is bringing together experienced organisations and energy efficiency practitioners, led by the charity PECT, and delivered in partnership with Nwes and Groundwork.
The project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). For more information, visit www.beecp.org.
European Regional Development Fund
The project is receiving up to £1,368,576 of funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Department for Communities and Local Government is the Managing Authority for ERDF. Established by the European Union ERDF funds help local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations.
For more information visit https://www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding