Clean energy cash back for businesses and households which generate low carbon electricity

From April, businesses, communities and householders will be encouraged to generate small scale low carbon electricity for the national grid.  Those who invest in energy generating technologies such as wind turbines and solar panels will be paid for the electricity generated through index linked feed-in tariffs and save on bills.  For example, power from solar panels could earn £900 and save £140 on the household energy bill.  The scheme will be administered by Ofgem.Business Link’s Deborah Wyatt, ‘Many businesses would like to introduce environmentally responsible practices. Business Link offer specific support and training to businesses that sell environmental and sustainable products and services to residential and commercial premises, working with Enviroskills.

The feed-in tariffs offer clear financial benefits to anyone considering installing renewable energy generating technologies.  This in turn will make premises more sustainable.’

Deborah added, ‘Business Link is keen to hear from local entrepreneurs who would like to take advantage of the new feed-in tariffs and can supply low carbon energy solutions to households, so that we can help them to understand how they and their customers can sign up for the scheme.  For those who wish to expand their skills within this sector we can identify and recommend subsidised Enviroskills courses.’

The Department of Energy and Climate Change has also published plans to be the first country to incentivise renewable heat generation at all scales. This will come into effect in April 2011 and guarantee payments for those who install technologies such as ground source heat pumps, biomass boilers and air source heat pumps.

Under the proposed tariffs the installation of a ground source heat pump in an average semi-detached house with adequate insulation levels could be rewarded with £1,000 a year and lead to savings of £200 per year if used instead of heating oil.
The heat incentive could help thousands of consumers who are off the gas network lower their fuel bills and gain a cash reward for installing a heating supply run by renewable energy.  Details of funding for the scheme will be published in the 2010 Budget.

For more information about the feed-in tariffs, call 0845 600 9 006 or visit www.businesslink.gov.uk/southeast.

Business Link is able to recommend the new short accredited business courses managed by Enviroskills for a wide range of renewable technologies. All the courses are available at a subsidised rate for small and medium sized companies based in the South East.
More details can be found at
www.enviroskills-southeast.co.uk/enviroskills/list_courses.aspx

Enviroskills is part funded by SEEDA and the European Social Fund, managed and delivered by Business Support Kent CIC.