UK: GrowSave urges growers to benefit from Climate Change Levy Discount
All business energy users pay CCL on a range of fuels such as gas and electricity and some sectors, including horticulture can benefit from a discount on this via a CCA.
Latest CCL scheme data shows that the 130 protected edible and ornamental nurseries signed up to the scheme have made an estimated energy saving of £2million and reduced their consumption by 5%, over the last two years.
From April 2019 the CCL charges will increase, but the discounts available will also increase offsetting the impact*. Therefore, growers who are signed up to a CCA will get more value from being included and those that aren’t signed up should now look again at their options.
As meeting energy saving targets is necessary to sign up to a CCA, achieving real efficiencies in growers’ energy use are essential. Information, help and advice available from GrowSave can be invaluable in meeting this aim.
Jon Swain, project manager for GrowSave, said: “Over the last 10 years we have helped a huge number of growers to take energy saving actions in their businesses. The GrowSave programme delivers events, publications and current thinking that can be readily implemented such as Next Generation Growing techniques, recommendations about improving heating systems or replacement with alternatives alongside financial benefits of schemes such as the CCL or the Renewable Heating Incentive."
Debbie Wilson, head of knowledge exchange at AHDB Horticulture who funds the GrowSave project, said: “We have seen excellent interest in GrowSave events and presentations across a variety of audiences over the 10 years of the project, growers particularly like the dynamic nature of the programme which keeps them updated on how legislative changes impact their bottom line and the capacity for the GrowSave team to delivered focused and relevant messages.”
The deadline for new applications to join a CCA is July 2018.
GrowSave is an AHDB-funded project run by FEC Energy and is celebrating ten years of delivering energy saving information and sharing the latest energy saving technologies to UK growers. To find out more about how GrowSave could help your business, follow #GrowSave10 or visit horticulture.ahdb.org.uk/growsave-10
* By means of an example, the value of CCL discount for a tomato grower with a gas boiler will rise from around £7,000/Ha in 2018-19 to £13,750/Ha 2019-20. This could incentivise growers not currently on the scheme to join, or even re-join.