23 April 2018

Climate Change Levy – how the BPIF can help you save money

In April 2019 the Climate Change Levy, which is an environment tax on all industries energy bills, is set to rise by a massive 42%. The good news is that the printing industry has been designated as an energy intensive sector and can therefore claim huge discounts off the levy. In fact, at the same time as the levy increases, the discounts available will also rise from the current 90% on Electricity, to 93%, and from 65% on Gas, to 78%.

Unfortunately however printing companies only have until this year to start claiming the discount. In order take advantage of this opportunity you need to submit your application this year with the cut of deadline being 31 July 2018. 

In order to start claiming the discount a site has to join the BPIF's Climate Change Levy Reduction scheme, but its only worth doing if the benefits of the discount outweigh the costs of the scheme. Luckily it's very simple to work out whether that's the case, as the levy appears as a distinct line on your energy bills. Or the BPIF can do it for you, simply send a representative monthly electricity bill to Steve Walker, or better still your annual electricity consumption in kWh's and he will be able to tell you exactly how much you would save.

We spoke to Mark Roberts, Managing Director of Acorn Web Offset Ltd to find out his experience of the BPIF scheme:

"As the BPIF have been running the CCL Reduction scheme since its inception in 2001 they had the expertise and experience to help us through the application process for a Climate Change Agreement. Initially by helping us decide whether the scheme was beneficial and explaining the implications of signing up. They then held our hand through all the necessary forms and documentation that needed to be provided.

"A single visit gave us enough information to start the process and then telephone and email advice made sure we prepared the correct information before the BPIF submitted it to the environment agency on our behalf.

"The application process was the main part of the work involved and once that was done we could start enjoying the benefits of the Climate Change Levy discount, which was worth nearly £35,000 in 2016 and is set to rise to a massive £58,000 a year from April 2019.

"We are required to reach energy efficiency targets and this further focusses the minds of the board on how to maintain the discount and make further savings on energy reduction.

"For those with a significant energy spend it's the absolute no brainer particularly with the BPIFs help in simplifying the governments application processes."

For more information on the Climate Change Levy please click here or email Steve Walker at [email protected]