Improving the energy efficiency of your organisation’s buildings and plant can bring many significant advantages, including reducing operating costs, enhancing the working environment and improving the environmental credentials of your operations. To help organisations in the public sector reap these and other benefits, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) recently launched the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS).
This is an exciting scheme that many of our clients are already looking into. Around £1 billion is available to provide grants for public sector bodies to fund energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation measures.
At Graham + Sibbalds Manchester office, we can help eligible organisations to access this money. For example, using the latest drone thermal imaging technology, alongside a detailed condition survey, we can help them pinpoint specific projects for which they may be able to receive financial assistance through the scheme.
According to Salix Finance, the body that is working to deliver the PSDS, the purpose of this PSD Scheme is to help make eligible buildings more energy efficient and install low carbon heating measures, for example insulation, glazing, heating controls, and heat pumps. Eligible organisations can apply for up to 100% grant funding for projects which meet the compliance criteria. There is no minimum or maximum grant value and all applications will be reviewed on a case by case basis.
Among the public sector bodies in England that are eligible to apply for the Grant Scheme are central government departments, institutions of further and higher education, local authorities, maintained schools within the state education system, NHS Trusts and Foundation Trusts and non-departmental public bodies.
The PSDS grants are time limited, with the closing date for applications dependent on the type of organisation applying. Certain public sector bodies must submit their applications no later than Monday 9 November 2020. For all other eligible organisations, the closing date for the submission of applications is the 11 January 2021.
The PSDS is part of the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s ‘Plan for Jobs’, which aims to help Britain recover from the Coronavirus pandemic. Alongside the £1bn pot for energy efficiency upgrades in public sector organisations, it also includes a £2 billion Green Homes Grant.
For more information on the PSDS, including details of how to apply, visit: www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-sector-decarbonisation-scheme-psds
For more information on how Graham + Sibbald can help you access the PSDS contact our Manchester office. T: 0161 302 5312. E: manchester@g-s.co.uk
