- Aston University is heading up a region-wide consortium that includes Pro Enviro, Black Country Industrial Cluster (BCIC) and Coventry City Council
- £15 million of new funding has been announced by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ)
- It is hoped the new funding will save businesses a further £8m in annual energy costs and cut 17,000 tonnes of carbon.
Aston University will be the lead delivery partner in the newly expanded Business Energy Advice Service (BEAS) energy pilot scheme which will provide a further 1,300 businesses across the West Midlands with tailored energy efficiency support.
The University is heading up a region-wide consortium that includes Pro Enviro, Black Country Industrial Cluster (BCIC) and Coventry City Council, which is responsible for delivering both standard and energy-intensive audits across the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and the West Midlands region.
£15 million of new funding has been announced by the WMCA and the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ). It is one of a number of regional schemes that have already helped 2,400 businesses to identify energy saving measures to decarbonise and reduce their energy consumption, through a free energy audit, with match funded grant support available to implement the audit’s recommendations.
If fully implemented, they would save £16m a year in gas and electricity costs and reduce annual carbon emissions by 34,000 tonnes, equivalent to the amount produced by 20,000 cars each year. It is hoped the new funding will save businesses a further £8m in annual energy costs and cut 17,000 tonnes of carbon.
SMEs can apply for a free energy efficiency audit leading to an opportunity to secure between £1,000 and £100,000 of match funding to implement recommended measures that can reduce their energy demand. This could include supporting investment in new machinery and equipment, improved manufacturing processes, or LED lighting, solar power, heat pumps and insulation.
Dr Prasanta Kumar Dey, professor in operations and information management at Aston Business School and project lead, said:
“The Aston University consortium (Aston University, Coventry City Council and Black Country Industrial Cluster) has advised 1572 SMEs in the 18 months to March 2025 on energy efficiency measures resulting a reduction of more than 20% in energy consumption (10 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per company).
Martin Grant, programme manager, said:
“To date we have supported SMEs across a wide variety of sectors, from manufacturing, retail and professional services through to the care sector, with businesses ranging from smaller SMEs to substantial medium sized businesses employing over a hundred staff.
“We’ll work with around 900 SMEs whose energy consumption is more than 25,000 kWh per year in this next phase of the project, supporting them to achieve a substantial reduction in their energy consumption; reducing their energy bills as well as their carbon footprint.”
Find out more about BEAS and a range of support programmes for SMEs, visit http://www.businessgrowthwestmidlands.org.uk/beas.
- Notes to Editors
About Aston University
For over 130 years, Aston University has been making our world a better place through education, research and innovation. Our history is intertwined with the remarkable city of Birmingham, once the heartland of the Industrial Revolution and now the thriving base for an innovation ecosystem of global significance, which Aston is co-creating.
Our vision is to be a leading university for science, technology and enterprise, measured by the positive transformational impact we achieve for our people, students, businesses and the communities we serve.
Aston focuses on high-quality, exploitable research that has an impact on society through medical breakthroughs, advancements in engineering, policy and practice in government, and the strategies and performance of business.
The university offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes, as well as continuing professional development solutions.
Thanks to its focus on delivering excellent outcomes for students, Aston University's reputation continues to grow. It was recognised as the Daily Mail University of the Year for Student Success 2025, is 2nd in England for social mobility (2023 HEPI Social Mobility Index), and is top 20 for graduate salaries (2024 Longitudinal Education Outcomes).
Aston University is now defining its place in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (and beyond) within a rapidly changing world.
For media inquiries in relation to this release, contact Sam Cook, Press and Communications Manager, on (+44) 7446 910063 or email: s.cook2@aston.ac.uk
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