Labour has promised SMEs £2 million to help cut costs and boost green upgrades.
Ministers say the cash will help thousands of SMEs slash bills by investing in clean tech from insulation to solar panels.
It lands alongside a wider package responding to the Willow Review which found 67% of SMEs that installed kit like solar or sold energy back to the grid cut their day-to-day costs.
The new money flows through the Made Smarter Adoption Programme to help firms adopt energy saving technology that lowers overheads and strengthens long-term growth.
This sits within a push to unlock the economic potential of sustainability for the UK’s 5.7 million SMEs.
Blair McDougall, Minister for Small Business, said: “Investing in sustainability is good for growth, cutting costs, and saving SMEs money to spend on growing their business.”
Katie White, Minister for Climate, said: “Clean energy is the economic opportunity of the 21st century and we are ensuring small business have the tools they need to take advantage of clean technologies and energy efficiency.”
The support does not stop at grants. Hospitality firms are already trialling Zero Carbon Services audits which are expected to save over £3 million and cut 2,700 tonnes of carbon in a year.
SMEs are also being swept into the mass rollout of smart meters so they can track usage, tighten efficiency and trim bills.
Michelle Ovens, CEO of Small Business Britain, said: “This is a strong step towards helping SMEs turn sustainability into new opportunities and better growth.”
Abdul Qureshi at Barclays added: “We are pleased to see this support being made available to help more small businesses build resiliency, reduce costs, and unlock growth opportunities from the transition to a low-carbon economy.”
The Government says the package is part of its Plan for Small Business, promising the most substantial set of SME support in a generation as it tries to turn green ambition into lower costs and stronger growth on the ground.
Small business to get green upgrade relief of £2m appeared first on Energy Live News.