Energy Efficiency Advice Project: Staffordshire
If your business is based in Staffordshire, you can access a fully funded energy assessment to help you understand your energy use, reduce running costs and plan future improvements. The programme is funded by Staffordshire County Council and run with the Staffordshire Business & Environment Network (SBEN).
Green Lark Environmental Solutions was appointed by Staffordshire County Council, following a competitive tender, to deliver the Energy Efficiency Advice Project. Each assessment is led by a Chartered Environmentalist and gives your business a clear, practical picture of where its energy goes and what to do about it.
The challenge
Energy is one of the largest controllable overheads for many small businesses, and few have the time or specialist knowledge to work out where it is being used or lost. Without that evidence, it is hard to prioritise improvements, make the case for investment, or be ready to apply for funding when it becomes available.
Our approach
Every assessment combines your own energy data with an on-site review, so the recommendations reflect how your premises actually operate.
- Energy data review. Your bills and, where available, half-hourly meter data, to establish how and when your site uses energy.
- Site visit. A Chartered Environmentalist reviews heating, hot water, lighting, controls, building fabric and equipment.
- Written report. Recommended measures, starting with no-cost and low-cost actions, with estimated energy, cost and carbon savings and payback periods.
- Route to funding. A clear view of which projects are investment ready, including for the Scale Up Staffordshire Loan and other grants as they become available.
What your business gains
- A clear understanding of your current energy use and costs
- Practical actions you can take straight away, many at little or no cost
- A prioritised plan for future energy improvement projects
- Estimated savings to support budgeting and investment decisions
- A stronger position when grants and funding open, with projects already identified and scoped
Who can take part
Your business must:
- Be located within Staffordshire County Council's administrative area (this excludes Stoke-on-Trent)
- Be a sole trader, micro-business, or small or medium-sized enterprise (SME)
- Use at least 8,000 kWh of gas and electricity combined each year
- Operate from non-domestic premises
- Pay its own energy bills
Eligibility depends on the council area your premises sit in, which can differ from your postal address. Some ST postcodes fall within Stoke-on-Trent and some within Staffordshire. You can check yours using the government's find your local council service.
How it works
- Register. Complete SBEN's short online form.
- Eligibility check. Staffordshire County Council confirms your eligibility and passes your details to Green Lark.
- Site visit. We contact you to arrange a visit at a time that suits your business.
- Your report. You receive a written assessment setting out your recommended measures and next steps.
What businesses say
“We were already quite a long way down our sustainable business journey before the energy assessment... [Green Lark] went the extra mile to understand what we were already doing and came up with several ideas and considerations that we hadn't thought of, which made the assessment genuinely useful.”
“One of the real benefits of having now completed this assessment is that we hope to be in a much stronger and better prepared position when future funding becomes available. We now have a clearer understanding of the improvements we could make, the areas we should prioritise and the potential opportunities across the site.”
“[Green Lark] took the time to understand our business and how we operate, and gave us some really useful insights into where and when our energy is being used and, more importantly, where we could make savings.”
Limited places
The programme runs until March 2027. Places are limited and allocated while funding is available, so eligible businesses are encouraged to register early.
Questions about the assessment? Email info@greenlark.co.uk.
Funding is subject to eligibility and available programme funding. Read the programme Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.