Business Energy Advice Service (BEAS)
Providing SMEs with free energy assessments
Note: Potential grant funding through the BEAS programme may still be available for businesses.
However, eligibility and availability varies by region. To check if grants are still open in your area, click below.
Free energy assessments will continue to be offered up to March 2026.
Check your regionWhat does BEAS offer?
The Business Energy Advice Service (BEAS) is a pilot programme designed to help businesses cut costs and support growth by providing free energy assessments.
BEAS is designed to help SMEs gain a better understanding of their energy usage. Each assessment includes a personalised report with practical recommendations that businesses can implement to reduce energy consumption and cut costs.
BEAS is part of a broader government initiative aimed at reducing carbon emissions nationwide.
Benefits of a BEAS energy assesment
- Personalised energy report
Receive tailored recommendations that come with estimated energy savings, helping you make informed investment decisions. - Optimise energy use
Discover how your business consumes energy and what pratical changes you can make to cut consumption and costs. - Gain expert advice
Stay competative by gaining practical advice to manage and reduce your energy spend going forward. - Progress towards Net Zero
Set your business on a clear path to achieving your sustainability goals.
Regions running BEAS
Within the West Midlands Combined Authority area, this includes Birmingham, Solihull, Sandwell, Dudley, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Coventry.
Outside the West Midlands Combined Authority area, this includes Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and The Marches (Herefordshire, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin).
How it works
1. Register - Start by completing a registration form online.
Register now2. Free Energy Assessment - Our expert advisors will visit your business premises to carry out a detailed on-site energy assessment.
3. Tailored Energy Report - Following your on-site review, you will receive an energy report with actionable advice on how to improve energy efficiency.
The comprehensive energy assessment and report include:
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A thorough review of your business premises, covering machinery, equipment, lighting and ventilation, to identify the key factors driving energy use and waste.
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An in-depth analysis of your energy consumption, to gain a better understanding of behavioural patterns linked to the facility and production processes.
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Practical recommendations for replacing inefficient processes, systems and equipment that consume excessive energy.
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Using temporary meters, we can monitor and analyse the energy consumption of up to five pieces of plant or machinery. (Available exclusively to relevant energy‑intensive businesses.)
Business eligibility criteria
To qualify for the BEAS programme, users must have an annual energy minimum gas/electricity consumption of 25,000 kWh.
Businesses must meet the following requirements:
Have fewer than 250 employees and a turnover less than £42 million, or balance sheet total less than £36 million.
Businesses must use at least 25,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy (electricity and/or gas) within 12 months. This varies from business to business, depending on energy usage and rates.
For example, if your electricity unit rate is 27.03p and the standing charge is 53.80p, using 25,000 kWh annually would cost approximately £6,800.
This includes partnerships with various business structures, such as startups, limited companies, and Community Interest Companies (CIC).
Your address must be used for business activities and registered with a Company House Number for Limited Companies or a Company Registration Number (CRN) for CICs.
Your business must not operate from a residential address.
The individual or business entity is responsible for energy payments.
Must be officially registered/active for at least 12 months and there should be evidence of income, expenses, or transactions over the period.
BEAS Energy Usage Calculator
Businesses interested in registering for BEAS must use at least 25,000 kWh of energy annually. To assist with this, the Energy Usage Calculator provides an estimate of their energy consumption in kilowatt-hours (kWh) for both electricity and gas.
How to use
- For the most accurate results, users should input their unit rates and standing charges. However, if these details are not available, the calculator will automatically apply indicative rates to provide a rough estimate*.
- When registering for BEAS, please have your energy bill information ready to provide the most accurate energy usage figures.
*This calculator provides an estimated energy usage based on the information entered. If standing charges and unit rates are not provided, indicative rates will be applied. Energy rates vary by business, location, and other factors, so users should refer to their actual rates for precise calculations. This tool is intended as a guide only and should not be relied upon for exact energy usage assessments.
You must enter either your average monthly spend or usage for electricity, gas, or both.
It looks like your business meets the requirements!
Please register now.
Before applying you will need:
- Company House Number (for Limited Companies) or a Company Registration Number (for CICs)
- Business energy bills to provide accurate energy usage information.
It seems your business does not meet the minimum requirements.
Please check your energy bill to check your business energy usage and to confirm if you're eligible for BEAS.
However, our support doesn't stop here - check out our other BGWM services that can assist your business growth.
Outside the West Midlands Combined Authority area? Please contact your local authority to find out what other services are on offer.
Electricity
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Gas
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Grant availability: Check your region
Grant availability varies depending on the local authority where your business is based (i.e., where it pays its business rates).
To understand whether you may still be able to apply for a grant, please see the information on the right by area:
Business Energy advice programme is now oversubscribed, and grant funding is no longer available.
New grant applications received after 7th January 2026 will therefore not be considered.
However, we encourage businesses to continue to register for free energy assessments via this link: Energy Audit.
You can also register your interest for any future funding opportunities by emailing: wmgp@birmingham.gov.uk
Grant funding is no longer available at this time, however we encourage businesses to register for free energy assessments.
Funding remains available, and applications will continue to be considered throughout December 2025, with application reviews potentially carried forward into January 2026. Later applications will be reviewed based on project timelines and readiness.
Ready to apply?
You will need:
- Your Company House Number (for Limited Companies) or a Company Registration Number (for CICs)
- Energy bill information
FAQ
Small Businesses based in the West Midlands from all sectors are eligible for consideration, except for:
- Forestry, fishing and agriculture (Although businesses may be eligible for DEFRA schemes).
- Charities (limited companies are eligible to apply).
- Sports organisations (although businesses like gyms can apply).
- Activities involving pornography or clairvoyance.
- Any business activity that is illegal, or deemed unsuitable, for public support by West Midlands Combined Authority.
For a standard business application, it takes typically a couple of days for someone to get in touch and about a month to arrange an assessment. The initial report can take 2-3 months, and the grant application can take up to 3 months.
For energy-intensive applications, the process from the initial report to the grant application can take up to 6 months.
After applying, you need to wait 12 months before you can reapply to the BEAS programme.
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