Government launches campaign to help businesses drive down energy bills

New campaign has launched to help organisations save money on their energy bills by improving energy efficiency 

• New campaign will help businesses boost their energy efficiency, cut costs and increase their cashflow as government ads hit the airwaves from next week.
• UK businesses, charities and other organisations to continue receiving energy bill support with energy and trade intensive industries expected to save around 20% on wholesale energy costs.
• Comes as the Energy Price Guarantee continues to keep a typical household energy bill at around £2,500.

A new campaign to help businesses, charities and public sector bodies increase their energy efficiency and drive down bills by making simple changes at low-to-no cost has been launched by the UK government today.

The campaign, targeted at small and medium sized businesses, will offer guidance on how organisations can make significant savings while cutting emissions, from installing light and heating timers, to turning down boiler flow temperature and changing light bulbs.

Many organisations are already aware of ways to boost their energy efficiency and have put these measures into practice. However, a substantial number of businesses are missing out on huge potential savings, due to a lack of information on how to cut down on their energy costs.

For many companies, a 20% cut in energy costs represents the same bottom-line benefit as a 5% increase in sales. A new website will help organisations access simple, low-to-no cost advice, outlining a range of possible actions, from having better sight of current energy use to upgrading and modifying equipment.

Examples of businesses already benefiting from energy efficiency measures:

• LED lighting allowed a carpark in Bedford to cut their average annual lighting costs by 50%. Lurke Street Multistorey Carpark installed lighting throughout their premises in 2017, replacing older, less energy efficient lighting. By installing a smart meter they were able to actively track and compare year-on-year savings - on average £50,000 per year - allowing them to build business cases for further investments.
• Marlec Engineering, a wind turbine manufacturer in Corby, switched to energy saving lighting as part of a range of measures to make their business premises more energy efficient. The company replaced T8 Fluorescent lamps with new, energy saving LED tubes. The lighting did not reduce light levels in the office and achieved a 60% saving on lighting costs.

To make sure as many businesses as possible know about the campaign, it will be promoted through paid advertorial across TV, radio, social media and more, and we are seeking to promote this through partnerships with the British Chambers of Commerce and Federation of Small Businesses.

It follows the launch of the government’s £18 million ‘It All Adds Up’ campaign last year. This provides similar advice for households, saving them hundreds on their energy bills, and saw UK sales of ‘draught protection products’ on eBay double shortly after the launch.

Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance Lord Callanan said:

Falling wholesale energy prices are welcome news, but this in no way changes our firm, long-term commitments to vastly boost UK energy efficiency across industry and households.

From today businesses, charities and public sector bodies can access helpful and practical advice on simple actions they can take to substantially reduce their energy use – and potentially increase profits.

Not only will this help lower operational costs by up to hundreds of thousands of pounds, but smarter energy use will help us deliver on our critical pledges to cut demand by 15% and reach net zero by 2050.

The new site also offers guidance on taking full advantage of the government’s range of energy support schemes available, such as the new Energy Bills Discount Scheme, which offers a unit discount on bills, and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which offers grants to help make installing heat pumps and biomass boilers as cheap as a gas boiler.

Adrian Dennis, Managing Director of Marlec Engineering, said:

Our business works with an absolute focus on sustainable energy solutions. We’ve invested in electric company cars and eco-friendly packaging. But upgrading to LED lighting is low-cost, and one of the simplest ways to promote sustainability in-house and save money on utility bills. We’d encourage other businesses to upgrade as well.

Energy Bills Discount Scheme

From today organisations across the country will start receiving money off their energy bills through the new Energy Bills Discount Scheme. It comes as wholesale gas prices are at levels not seen since before Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, with eligible UK businesses, charities, public sector bodies and others to receive the discount until 31 March 2024.

Customers do not need to apply for the universal discount, with suppliers automatically factoring it into the bills of all eligible non-domestic customers.

The new scheme replaces the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, which by late March had paid out £5.6 billion – around £35 million a day to cut energy costs for businesses.

Minister for Energy Consumers and Affordability Amanda Solloway said:

This government will always be unapologetically pro-business. We’ve spent over £5 billion to protect against disruption to UK industry at the hands of Putin, saving many businesses around half on their wholesale energy costs this winter.

The new level of support offered today reflects a substantial drop in global energy prices – now at their lowest level since before Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

We will continue to firmly back UK industry and are making sure those unable to cut back on their energy use continue to be shielded.

Dhara Vyas, Deputy CEO at Energy UK, said:

Despite recent falls, wholesale gas prices are still high by historical standards, making this is a difficult time for businesses up and down the country. Energy suppliers are working with businesses to come up with innovative solutions that will help customers afford their bills while providing improved customer service and information. But high prices cannot be solved by industry alone, so we’re pleased government and industry have worked together to ensure delivery of this critical, extended support is on time. We particularly welcome the launch of a business energy campaign to help reduce bills now and protect against future crises.

Meanwhile, eligible energy and trade intensive industries will be able to apply for a higher level of support through a GOV.UK portal later this month. This is expected to save some businesses 20% of predicted wholesale energy costs.

Domestic heat networks will also receive a new, sector-specific support rate. This will make sure these customers do not face disproportionately higher energy bills under the Energy Bills Discount Scheme than those supported by the Energy Price Guarantee.

The discount is expected to be reflected in bills from May onwards, with support backdated to 1 April.

Minister Solloway met with Ofgem, energy suppliers and others earlier this week to discuss what more suppliers can do to help business customers fixed into long-term contracts at high prices – especially those in sectors currently facing challenges.

Non-Standard Cases

The government is today announcing further that non-domestic energy support will be extended and eligibility expanded to include customers receiving energy from non-licensed suppliers through the public electricity or gas grid.

These customers will be able to apply for Non-Standard Cases support under the Energy Bills Discount Scheme covering similar levels of energy costs from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024.

Non-Standard Cases support will also be expanded to include non-domestic customers who receive electricity or gas from license-exempt suppliers via private wire or pipe and where prices paid are pegged to wholesale energy prices. This wider group can apply for backdated support under the Energy Bill Relief Scheme as well as under the new Energy Bills Discount Scheme.

Further information about how eligible customers can apply will be provided on GOV.UK in due course.

Government launches campaign to help businesses drive down energy bills - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 

Worthing community groups invited to find out if they are eligible for development funding

Worthing-based community groups, organisations and residents associations are being invited to find out if they are eligible to apply for funding from Worthing Borough Council.

The Council has made changes to how its Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Neighbourhood Fund is distributed, to open it up to more groups and make it easier to apply.

The Worthing CIL Neighbourhood Fund is made up of a proportion of the payments collected from developers building in the local area to offset the impact felt by residents.

This year the fund has been expanded to cover a wider area of Worthing, with groups based in any of the following areas eligible to apply:

• Coastal East: Heene, Central and Selden wards
• Coastal West: Marine and Goring wards
• North West: Northbrook, Castle and Durrington wards
• North: Tarring, Gaisford and Salvington wards

The fund covers both revenue projects and new infrastructure projects up to a maximum of £15,000.

Applications will open in May, but the Council is inviting groups to find out if they are eligible now by filling out a simple expression of interest form.

A Council spokesperson said:

“We have made a series of changes to the CIL Neighbourhood Fund since it first launched in 2021 to make it fairer, more transparent and easier to apply for.

“The new expression of interest stage will allow community groups, organisations and residents associations to easily find out if they are eligible for funding ahead of making a formal application.

“Any groups that are not fully ready to apply will be given advice from the Council or referred to Community Works, a local organisation that supports the voluntary sector.”

To find the expression of interest form and for more information about the fund click here.

Job Vacancy - Insurance Administrator - Omni Davis Insurance Brokers 

We are an independent insurance broker that prides itself in professionalism, expertise, and customer service.

Based at our offices in Billingshurst, you will be required to work within the Personal Lines Team, assisting the Account Executives in their daily duties. It is an Administrator role with full training provided with the aim to progress into a career in insurance.

Insurance Administrator Responsibilities:

• General insurance administration
• Dealing with queries and servicing customer requirements
• Producing customer documentation in a timely, consistent & compliant manner
• Ensure daily queries and e-mails are answered efficiently
• Assist with team administration
• Undertake any other reasonable duties as directed by the management team

Essential Requirements:

• Proficient I.T. skills. Including Word/Excel/Outlook
• Ability to follow processes and procedures and to work within timeframes
• Ability to stay calm in a fast-paced environment and remain proactive and professional
• Be able to rapidly adapt to change
• Be a strong team player who is eager to learn and can grasp new information quickly
• Good telephone manner
• Good attention to detail and organised in approach
• Satisfy all pre-employment checks required for the role including criminal records and credit check

Desirable Requirements:

• Previous admin and/or office experience beneficial
• A good range of strong GCSE passes, with a minimum requirement in Maths and English

My client has a genuine pride in delivering high quality work. They live by their reputation in professional services and it is this focus on quality which underpins their offering to Clients. My clients are proud of their history and accomplishments, but they’ll never forget the philosophy that has brought them to where they are now. The priority is the Client.

My client is committed to cutting through the jargon so that Clients understand the cover they are buying. Although price is always important, their reputation is based on experience and expertise in finding Clients the most suitable policy at a competitive premium. By forging strong relationships with the best-known insurance providers in the UK and through long standing connections, my client ensures they offer the insurance protection that they need, negotiating the best terms for their personal or business needs.

Location: Billingshurst, West Sussex

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: Full Time, 9.00am – 5.00pm (Monday to Friday)

Salary: £20,851 to £22,500 (dependent on experience)

Send your CV to: recruitment@omnidavis.co.uk

Climate Challenge & Committing to NetZero

Worthing & Adur Chamber are committed to achieving NetZero by 2050, in 2022 the Chamber joined the Good Business Charter and pledged our support to their ten components to be a business for good. 

The British Chambers of Commerce are also committed to the NetZero and as a local Chamber, we share their ambitions and values which you can read more about below:

British Chambers of Commerce: For the member businesses of the UK’s Accredited Chambers of Commerce and the Global Business Network, the Climate Challenge is the single most important long-term issue. Our members want to rise to the occasion and play their part in meeting this inter-generational problem head on because of their keen sense of social value and connection to local and global communities.

We at the British Chambers of Commerce are committed to helping them play their role through a wide range of initiatives. This Hub, developed with partners who share our ambition and values, is one of those initiatives, and it showcases many more. It comprises three sections, which will evolve and grow over time to give businesses more insight, support and best practice help, allowing them to understand how they can best make their contribution and what is expected of them. We have also set out some of our key ideas for how Government can create the right incentives and structures.

• Climate Challenge Central: we are already seeing the effects of climate change on society, and so businesses want to know not only how to help stop the process, but how to live with its effects. The BCC will set out its key resources on doing that in this section.

• Net Zero Hub: we have pooled our network’s expertise with partners to help businesses and Government alike understand how we can work together to minimise our climate change gas emissions as a community.

• COP27: the 27th UN Climate Change Conference, held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt from 6 – 18 November 2022 was a key date for the international community to come together and set out how to meet the Climate Challenge as a planet. This section includes the BCC and Chamber Network input and engagement ahead of and during the Conference.

https://www.britishchambers.org.uk/page/campaigns/climate-challenge

Kreston Reeves advises Global Critical Logistics on acquisition of Classic Automotive Relocation Services

Kreston Reeves has advised Global Critical Logistics (GCL) group on the acquisition of Classic Automotive Relocation Services (CARS).

Kreston Reeves provided financial due diligence, tax due diligence and structuring advice to support the transaction, which comprised the three separate acquisitions of the discrete elements which make up CARS’ global operations.

CARS is a world leader in the road, air and sea freight shipment of historic, rare and prestigious vehicles to destinations around the world, guiding them through the complexities of freight documentation and customs brokerage to car shows, exhibitions, trade shows, motoring events and rallies. Headquartered in the UK and with offices in the USA, UAE, Netherlands and Japan, CARS operates a network of specialist storage facilities and offers services including international transportation, motorsport logistics, customs brokerage, vehicle storage, Carnet de Passages and various OEM testing options.

GCL is backed by ATL Partners, a premier sector-focused private equity firm based in New York that invests in aerospace, transportation and logistics. GCL is the holding company for a family of brands that include Rock-it Global, Dietl, Cosdel, CargoLive, Dynamic International, GCL Jets, and CARS. With 39 owned offices in 14 countries, GCL provide mission critical logistics for worldwide operations serving the live events, fine art, classic and high-value automobiles, film, television, broadcast, sports and motor sports industries. 

CARS’ extensive coverage of the European, U.S. and Middle Eastern markets solidifies GCL’s position as a global specialist freight forwarder for high-end and high-value automobiles and compliments GCL’s existing brand Cosdel International Transportation. This combination of CARS’ and Cosdel’s expertise and global coverage creates a new global leader serving this complex and demanding market.

The Kreston Reeves team was led by Corporate Finance Partner Jack Clipsham and Corporate Tax Partner Laurence Parry. They were supported by Director James Reed-Sperrin, Senior Managers Jeremy Marshall and Mohammed Mujtaba and Corporate Finance Analyst Brandon McBride.

Jack Clipsham said: “The classic vehicle and motor sports markets remains strong attracting considerable interest around the world. Kreston Reeves brings an experienced and strong team to complex and multi-jurisdiction corporate finance deals, and it was a privilege to advise GCL on this important acquisition.”

Paul J. Martins, President & CEO of GCL, commented “This acquisition extends the GCL group’s service offering and proven operational capabilities across key strategic growth markets, both in terms of customer industries and geographic presence. Kreston Reeves provides great service and support to all the companies that make up GCL – it is a great team effort.”

Andrew Blay, VP Corporate Development & Finance of GCL said: “This transaction has been one of the most challenging deals of my career and Kreston Reeves has provided extraordinary support on this project - we could not have completed the deal without the firm’s expertise and pragmatism during diligence. Without your seasoned experienced and measured perspectives, we may not have reached this outcome.”

GB Electronics MD has been selected as an Ambassador for the Digital Skills Programme

Mark Bullen, Managing Director is delighted to make this annoucement. 

I am very excited that I have been selected as a Digital Futures Ambassador for West Sussex such a fantastic initiative which aligns with GBE’s strategy and experience:

·  West Sussex is a fantastic location to build a company, especial a tech-focused digital business. The area has amazing potential and is set for spectacular growth.
·  A career in the growing and ever-diverse digital industry is incredibly rewarding, exciting and cool.
·  There are some very talented people in our region – time to tap into that talent and push the boundaries of innovation in West Sussex.

This is based on my experience of growing GBE to the tech business it is today. Launching over 5 new products to market every year, building our team to over 60 people, specialising in software, hardware and product design with our own advanced manufacturing site has given me a passion for the Digital Industry. Coupled with working with local schools, colleges, universities, and SMEs has shown the talent pool we have in West Sussex.

So, when I found out about the Digital Futures West Sussex programme that West Sussex County Council and the West Sussex districts and boroughs were funding, I really wanted to get involved.

www.digitalfuturesws.co.uk

Can your business support students at St Oscar Romero?

Check out the following skills development events

Skills Convo (Interviews)
Thursday 20th April 2023 - 8am to 12 noon
Choose any section https://www.loom.com/share/59dfd4854403494792c95f1f558d880f

Anything is Possible Workshops
Could you provide a 50 minute slot?
https://www.loom.com/share/991dab0fed014591809f4ec8938420df

Work Experience Year 10
Monday 19th June to Friday 23rd June 2023
https://www.loom.com/share/276811bedac14ff1ab48efd7a136b2e0

If you can offer your support, please email pdean@stromeros.co.uk

Free Co-working week at plus X Brighton

You are invited to experience the Plus X innovation community  

Enjoy a free week of full membership access to our Brighton innovation hub. With a wealth of flexible working spaces from coworking desks to private studios we are opening up their doors to give you the opportunity to experience a week in the life as a Plus X member! 

MONDAY 24^TH – FRIDAY 28^TH APRIL 2023

With growth at the very core of the Plus X business ecosystem, whether you are a large established business or a growing start up, we are built for people who are interested in making change , developing different perspectives , learning , growing , and finding answers to the biggest challenges of our time . 

Join us to experience this for yourself. 

Click the link below and fill out the form to register a place now. 

https://plusx.space/free-coworking-week/

Government-funded leadership course helps small business leaders boost performance and resilience

Small business leaders across Worthing and Adur are invited to take advantage of the 90% government-funded Help to Grow: Management Course. Designed by entrepreneurs and industry experts from the UK’s leading business schools, the course helps small business leaders and senior managers from every industry to boost leadership skills as well as business performance and resilience.

Help to Grow: Management is a 12-week course covering the critical components required to develop a resilient business strategy. It includes online and face-to-face sessions, 10 hours of 1-to-1 mentoring, peer networking, and support to develop a Growth Action Plan. 90% funded by UK Government, the course costs just £750 per person.

This practical leadership course provides time away from the challenges of running a business to invest in your leadership, equipping you with the knowledge and confidence to take your business to the next level:

• Develop leadership skills across all areas of business including strategic planning, employee engagement, vision and values, finance, and marketing
• Develop strategies for market segmentation, positioning and targeting to streamline the marketing approach
• Gain exclusive access to a regional peer network to share practical challenges, ideas, and experiences
• Work with a mentor to develop a Growth Action Plan tailored to your business and its unique journey
• Learn how to engage your employees on the business journey and plan the future structure of the organisation
• Identify new technologies and digital approaches to enhance innovation and productivity across your business
• Improve operational efficiency to save time and money.

At the end of the Help to Grow: Management Course, you will be ready to lead the change required to scale your business, even in the most challenging of conditions.

To be eligible for the course, your business must employ between 5 and 249 people, and have been operational for at least a year. SMEs employing 10 or more people can enrol 2 senior managers on the course.

The course is delivered by multiple Small Business Charter accredited business schools within Worthing and Adur.. More information, including course dates and testimonials from course participants, is available from the website.

Leaders and senior managers are already experiencing the benefits of taking part in the Help to Grow: Management Course.

Book your FREE Net Zero Workshop today!

Net-zero is transforming business at a pace. Get left behind and you risk becoming irrelevant in the eyes of consumers, investors, and funders.

But where do you start? How do you work out what’s right for you? And how do you deal with the complex issues, such as supply chains and product lifecycles?

Enter Net Zero 360 – the UK’s first full-service net-zero business package.

It’s designed to take you from the first steps on your net-zero journey to becoming a bona fide sustainability pioneer. You get access to workshops, a rigorous carbon calculator, action-planning support, and university innovation expertise and facilities.

This three-part series of FREE workshops is where you get on.

You’ll get a solid grounding in net-zero business, with plenty of time built-in for you to ask questions and get tailored advice.

This online edition will run over two cohorts 

• Cohort 1 runs from 9.30am to 12.30pm on 9, 16 and 23 May 2023.
• Cohort 2 runs from 9.30am to 12.30pm on 11, 18 and 25 May 2023.

Some feedback from previous attendees:

“I have really enjoyed this course; it has been very insightful and useful for ideas of how to progress our sustainability program.”

“Brilliant course – fantastic facilitation by very credible presenters.”

“I found this course extremely useful, it has kick started our journey!”

Book your FREE place here