Save money by using energy more efficiently.

Energy Grant 500

Business Link are offering SEEDA funded grants for their Energy Grant 500 scheme.

What benefits does it offer?
It can help warn you of over-consumption, raise awareness of the electricity you are using and help you to take positive steps to cutting your bills. The grant funding available allows you to make energy saving improvements resulting in cost savings to your business.

Eligibility
The Energy Grant 500 is available to any business based in premises, either rented or owned, with a current energy spend of between £1,500 and £30,000 pa.

Home based businesses will not be eligible.

This Grant is the perfect incentive to help you begin to lower your energy consumption. It is availble to companies located in the SEEDA region: (click here to see if this applies to you)

To find out more and register your interest contact us now on 01252 322757 or e-mail: info@touchstoneservices.co.uk

Energy-efficient equipment, processes and materials

Grants for lighting energy saving projects

A range of energy saving grants are available from time to time from a number of different sources.

Get in touch to find out what may be available for you.

The enhanced capital allowance scheme (ECA) – cash from the taxman!

You may be able to reduce energy consumption and save money by updating your equipment.

Tax incentives may be available if you invest in energy saving technologies and products. The Enhanced Capital Allowance scheme (ECA) enables you to claim 100 per cent first year capital allowances on investments of qualifying equipment. You could write off the whole cost of your investment against your taxable profits for the period in which you make an investment.

Some energy efficient and renewable materials also qualify for reduced rates of VAT. For example, installing energy efficient central heating systems, solar panels and insulation all qualify.

Providing that the manufacturer meets the specified criteria, equipment and technologies that fall under the ECA scheme include:

* air-to-air energy recovery
* automatic monitoring and targeting
* boilers
* combined heat and power (CHP)
* compact heat exchangers
* compressed air equipment
* heat pumps for space heating
* heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) zone controls
* lighting
* motors
* pipework insulation
* refrigeration equipment
* solar thermal systems
* thermal screens
* variable speed drives
* warm air and radiant heaters

The Energy Technology List contains further details of the plant and machinery that qualifies for the ECA scheme. You can find the Energy Technology List on the ECA website - Opens in a new window.

Equipment listed on the Energy Technology List may also be eligible for an Energy Efficiency Loan from the Carbon Trust. Small or medium-sized enterprises in England and Scotland, or all businesses in Wales that have been trading for at least 12 months, may be eligible to borrow from £5,000 to £200,000. The loans are unsecured, interest free and repayable over a period of up to four years. In Northern Ireland, all businesses that have been trading for at least 12 months may be eligible to apply for an unsecured interest-free loan of up to £400,000. Find out about loans for energy-saving projects at the Carbon Trust website - Opens in a new window.

If your business uses household equipment such as refrigerators, freezers and ovens they should have an energy label that tells you how energy efficient the equipment is.

Touchstone's lighting energy saving projects are approved by the Carbon Trust for the ECA scheme. Whether you are paying tax or not, you can claim the full costs of a project for tax purposes. For taxpayers this is at the full rate of 28% giving a real cash boost in the year of purchase. If you are not paying tax, you can get a cash payment from the taxman, usually at the rate of 19%! Full details are available on the ECA website here - http://www.eca.gov.uk 

Interest free loans from the Carbon Trust

SME’s may be eligible for interest free loans from the Carbon Trust.  These loans are always structured so that payments are less than savings meaning that you can actually make a profit from day 1.

Eligible companies

Small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in England and Scotland could borrow from £5,000 to £200,000. (An SME is defined as an enterprise that employs fewer than 250 full-time equivalent employees and has an annual turnover not exceeding £40m and/or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding £35m.)**

Northern Ireland and Wales: All businesses based in Northern Ireland and Wales could borrow from £5,000 to £200,000. Some businesses in Northern Ireland may be eligible for larger loans of up to £400,000.

All businesses across the UK need to have been trading for at least 12 months