Expert consultancy and interest-free unsecured loans and grants through Business Energy Scotland can help you slash your energy bills, just the way it has already done for many retail businesses in Scotland.
By Antony Begley
Through Business Energy Scotland, SMEs that have been trading for 12 months can access unsecured, interest-free loans of £1,000 to £100,000 from the Scottish Government to pay for energy- and carbon-saving upgrades in their business.
The scheme can be used to finance the installation of many energy-efficient systems, equipment or building fabric, including:
- heating, ventilation, and air conditioning upgrades;
- renewable heat technologies such as installing an air source heat pump;
- improving insulation, draught proofing, double or secondary glazing;
- installing LED lighting;
- installing solar thermal systems, wind turbines and biomass boilers.
Recipients can also receive a cashback non-repayable grant of up to £30,000 when installing eligible equipment:
- 75% of eligible costs up to a maximum of £20,000 can be claimed for energy efficiency measures;
- 75% of eligible costs up to a maximum of £10,000 can also be claimed for a range of renewable heat measures (heat pumps, biomass boilers and solar thermal).
The SME Loan Scheme has already provided Scottish businesses with over £26m in loans for more than 950 projects.
As every local retailer knows, one of the most efficient ways of improving your bottom line is by cutting costs. One of the biggest costs of all is, of course, energy. We have all been affected by escalating energy bills – but help is at hand. Scottish Government-funded Business Energy Scotland exists to help businesses save energy, carbon and money. They have already helped countless retail and wholesale businesses do exactly that as part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to hitting its Net Zero targets.
Business Energy Scotland offers free expert consultancy as well as helping organise interest-free, unsecured loans and grants to replace ageing, inefficient equipment with new state-of-the-art kit that can help you make big savings on your energy bill.
Managed by the Energy Saving Trust, Business Energy Scotland has no commercial interests in supporting retailers and does not take commissions or fees from external suppliers. It exists simply to help you to become more energy efficient, reduce your energy consumption and, ultimately, to reduce your costs and improve your profits. And it’s entirely free.
It makes no difference whether you just want to upgrade some tired refrigeration kit, install better lighting or whether you are looking at more major projects like heat pumps or solar power – Business Energy Scotland can help.
To give you a flavour for exactly how they can help, and the savings you could make, here are a few case studies from retail businesses that have benefitted from Business Energy Scotland’s support.
Case Study 1:
Premier MC Girvan – £4,000 saving
With the help of Business Energy Scotland advisers and an interest-free, unsecured loan, Premier MC Stores in Girvan was able to slash more than £4,000 off its annual energy bill.
The store was able to make several improvements throughout the business including:
- New LED lighting
- New refrigeration units
- A new ventilation system
Richard Cook, Operations Manager at Premier MC Stores, said: “Because of the interest-free loan and cashback we were able to invest more money back into the business to basically bring the store up to a five-star standard.”
Case Study 2:
Goldenacre Mini Market, Edinburgh – £1,800 saving
A Best-one store, Goldenacre Mini Market managed to achieve a 30% energy cost reduction which represented a saving of around £1,800 a year. The costs were funded through a combination of a non-repayable grant and a Scottish Government interest-free SME loan.
The store was able to make several improvements throughout the business including:
- New LED lighting
- New refrigeration units
Case Study 3:
Harris Community Shop – £3,750 saving
Co-Chomunn na Hearadh (Harris Community Shop) used an interest-free SME Loan to purchase high-efficiency refrigerated display cabinets, reducing its energy use by around 40% and saving £3,750 per year.
The store was able to make several improvements throughout the business including:
- Replacing all 18 of the store’s chillers and freezers
Case Study 4:
Day-Today Local Myre Store, Dumbarton – £3,000 saving
This Dumbarton convenience store cut its annual energy costs by over £3,000 with an air source heat pump and new refrigeration units, funded through an unsecured and interest-free SME Loan.
- New refrigeration units
- New air source heat pump
- Available to retailers who have been trading for 12 months.
- Interest-free loans of £1,000 to £100,000 from the Scottish Government to pay for energy- and carbon-saving upgrades.
- Cashback non-repayable grants of up to £30,000 when installing eligible equipment.
- Grants covering 75% of eligible costs up to a maximum of £20,000 can be claimed for energy efficiency measures.
- Grants covering 75% of eligible costs up to a maximum of £10,000 can also be claimed for a range of renewable heat measures (heat pumps, biomass boilers and solar thermal).
- SME Loan Scheme has already provided Scottish businesses with over £26m in loans for more than 950 projects.
- Business Energy Scotland’s team of advisors has already found over £200m worth of savings for Scottish organisations.
- Average saving of 24% per business.
To find out more about how Business Energy Scotland and the Scottish Government’s SME Loan Scheme can help your business save energy and money, visit businessenergyscotland.org or call 0808 808 2268.
