Three-hundred small businesses in North Kesteven will be supported to discover why going green is so important to their business, while also saving them money.
With North Kesteven District Council being the latest area to join the Get Zero Get Zellar project to boost local net zero progress, the District Council is calling for local businesses to come forward and claim their free access to an online sustainability tool that helps them cut their carbon footprint and energy bills. Businesses using the Zellar platform can reduce emissions and save up to £4,100 in energy bills.
While there are many examples of businesses within North Kesteven making great strides in their carbon-cutting journey, there are also many smaller businesses which would value support in taking climate action, with nine out of ten being unaware of their carbon footprint and struggling to make headway on sustainability.
Under its 2030 carbon net-zero ambition for both the Council and the wider District, NKDC is subsidising places on the programme so that 300 local small and medium-sized businesses can access this scheme free of charge and kickstart their sustainability journeys.
Additional funding for the programme is provided by SSE’s Sustainable Business Communities project with Zellar.
Deputy Chief Executive at North Kesteven District Council, Phil Roberts said:
“Launching this opportunity in partnership with Zellar and SSE is the latest step in our journey to reaching net zero by 2030. Businesses have a vital role to play in tackling climate change, but many are unsure about where to start or why it could benefit them.
“Zellar’s online platform will make it easier for businesses to calculate their carbon footprint and find out how to reduce it while saving money.
“Tackling meaningful climate action helps a business to stand out in the marketplace and customers want to support eco-friendly enterprises. Taking part in this free programme will make it clear to your customers that a business is making a positive impact.”
To qualify for a free one-year Zellar licence a business must be a micro-SME (up to 10 employees) or SME (under 250 employees) with a base in North Kesteven. The offer is available to the first 300 qualifying enterprises that apply before 31 March 2024.
Zellar helps companies to calculate and understand their carbon emissions and then build an achievable plan to reduce them, based on their size and sector. It is already helping over 1,000 UK SMEs to plan, activate, measure, report and share their business sustainability journeys, and reduce their energy costs.
One year’s fully subsidised access to Zellar is worth £299. Sign up takes less than 90 seconds. To secure access for your business, visit www.zellar.com and enter NK300 at checkout (or join Zellar here where discount code NK300 is automatically applied at checkout).
By joining Get Zero Get Zellar North Kesteven District Council will also gain access to consolidated data reports, to enable it to track the emissions reduction progress of local businesses.
Gary Styles, founder and CEO of Zellar, said:
“We’re excited that North Kesteven District Council has chosen to become the latest area to join our Get Zero Get Zellar programme. This is a brilliant opportunity for local businesses to join a community of over one thousand UK businesses that are reducing their emissions and bringing down their record high energy bills. And, of course to help North Kesteven reach its 2030 net zero goal.
“Based on previous ‘first come first served’ programmes we’ve run, I’d urge business to apply early to avoid disappointment.’’
Nikki Flanders, Managing Director of Energy Customer Solutions at SSE, said:
“I am delighted that North Kesteven District Council is enabling this opportunity for businesses. Providing the right tools and support to small businesses to reduce their carbon footprint and energy bills has never been more important. Business engagement is vital if we are to achieve our UK net zero targets and exactly why SSE Energy Solutions chose to sponsor the Zellar platform, which will provide free low-carbon support, guidance and inspiration to 15,000 small and medium-sized businesses, the lifeblood of the UK economy.
“Business groups, led by the FSB, have been calling for an accessible platform that provides practical information on how to reduce energy usage and environmental impact and Zellar is the perfect example of what can be done in this space. We believe our Sustainable Business Communities project will be a vital enabler for SMEs to get to grips with their sustainability responsibilities.”
North Kesteven District Council is the latest regional organisation to sign up to Get Zero Get Zellar and joins Cheltenham Borough Council, Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP, East Midlands Chamber, Leicester and Leicestershire LEP, Greater Lincolnshire LEP and the Business Gateway, Made in Northamptonshire and Market Harborough District Council.
One year’s fully subsidised access to Zellar is worth £299. Sign up takes less than 90 seconds. To secure access for your business: Join Zellar here; our discount code NK300 is automatically applied at checkout.
