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ARCHIVE: Farming: Energy and energy efficiency

There are three reasons for reducing the amount of energy used on UK farms:

  • to lower carbon emissions, helping to counter the effects of global warming
  • to make our energy supplies more secure
  • to save money and improve the competitiveness of UK businesses

Sources of advice

The Carbon Trust gives free, practical advice to help businesses reduce energy usage. It estimates that a 20% saving in energy consumption – which is realistically achievable by most businesses – can have the same effect as a 5% increase in sales. For a step-by-step guide to makings savings see the energy pages of the Carbon Trust website.

Advice and guidance is also available from Envirowise. Envirowise delivers a government-funded programme of free, confidential advice to UK businesses.

The advice covers  practical ways to increase profits, minimise waste and reduce environmental impact. Guidance is available through:

The  Energy Saving Trust is a Government-funded Trust which runs a number of programmes to promote energy efficiency. Details of the programmes, including the 'Energy Efficiency' campaign, are available from the website.

There is also a series of technical guides specific to the farming sector, produced by the Farm Eneregy Centre (FEC). These include:

  • Guide to saving energy in agriculture and horticulture
  • Farmhouse energy efficiency
  • Energy efficient cooling and storage of fruit and vegetables
  • Greenhouse energy efficiency
  • Energy efficiency in pig production

These publications can be ordered from the Farm Energy Centre website or by telephone - 02476 696 512.

The Farm Energy Centre also has an on-line enquiry service which will provide answers to specific queries regarding energy use on farms.

Further information

Enhanced Capital Allowances (ECAs) enable a business to claim 100% first-year capital allowances on their spending on qualifying plant and machinery. There are three schemes for ECAs:

  • energy-saving plant and machinery
  • low carbon dioxide emission cars and natural gas and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure
  • water conservation plant and machinery

Businesses can write off the whole of the capital cost of their investment in these technologies against their taxable profits of the period during which they make the investment.

Contacting Defra

If you want further information regarding energy efficiency activities, you can contact Defra on energy.efficiency@defra.gsi.gov.uk  for general queries about energy efficiency policy. The Department of Trade and Industry - DTI - is responsible for overall energy policy, including energy supply and renewable energy.

Useful links:

External

Further information

  • Defra helpline 08459 335 5 77 (local call rate)
  • Farm Energy Centre 02476 696 512
  • Carbon Trust energy helpline - 0800 085 2005

Page last modified: 19 January 2009
Page published: 1 July 2006