£1bn Carbonisation Grant – Swift Action Needed

Public sector decarbonisation: Swift action needed by schools & colleges to check £1bn grant eligibility before deadline

More haste is needed if schools, colleges and academies are to meet the tight deadline for applications to the Government’s £1 billion fund for decarbonisation, says leading energy efficiency business Energys Group.

The company, which has helped deliver the roll-out of many of the UK Government’s largest energy reduction retrofit projects over the last 15 years, says public sector energy professionals need to act quickly to start the process and should not be unduly concerned by the workload associated with an application.

The Decarbonisation Scheme’s funds are being allocated against very tight timescales – both for the grant application itself and for project delivery. Priority will be given to projects with an early implementation date.

Industry-wide push

“As this a grant and not a loan, there is simply no time to waste,” says Kevin Cox, Managing Director at Energys Group. “This is a major opportunity on the path to realising the UK’s 2050 Net Zero emissions targets. We’re well aware that the deadlines are tight – and we anticipate significant ‘excess demand’ for this money so time is of the essence.

“The low carbon sector must do all it can to work swiftly to support those who may be eligible; the first stage is to simply establish whether they are able to take advantage of the fund.”

Energys Group, like many other responsible carbon-conscious service businesses, is working hard to organise its business to support public sector energy managers – and those responsible for energy bills – to meet the deadlines on time.

“There is a considerable amount of pre-application work that needs to be undertaken by an energy professional before an application can be made. However, this can be undertaken by us; plus we can offer full support with the completion of the grant application paperwork and provide guidance on procurement through a compliant framework,” concludes Kevin Cox.

For schools wishing to use the fund to upgrade their LED lighting Produce, Energys Group is reminding them that a Heat Decarbonisation plan will be needed as part of the application. For those working with Energys Group, the cost of undertaking this can be included in the grant – or can be included as an element of heating de-carbonisation in your project.

Energys Group