Leicestershire SMEs need more support to cut energy bills and ‘go green’ – finds new survey
Leicestershire SMEs need more support to cut energy bills and ‘go green’ – finds new survey
- New survey of SMEs by electrical contractor reveals barriers to adopting green and clean energy
- Local firms struggling with energy bills and a lack of information about sustainable alternatives, report finds
- Companies want to invest – but upfront costs and landlord issues are stopping them
- Ahead of International Day of Clean Energy on 26 January, experts call for more support for firms
SMEs in Leicestershire are struggling to ‘go green’ with their energy use amid rising bills and a lack of support to make the switch, according to survey findings published today (22nd January 2026).
Half of those firms interviewed said their energy bills were rising, with more than half (60%) saying they were concerned about the impact on their business, Glenfield Electrical’s survey found. At the same time, more than four in five (82.5%) said they wanted to cut their carbon footprint – but landlord issues and a lack of advice were among issues blocking them from doing so.
The UK is committed to reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and SMEs are key to achieving the ambition.
However, as the Government encourages businesses to adopt renewable energy measures, such as solar panels, to cut emissions and reduce bills, county firms interviewed said they needed more advice and funding, plus support from landlords. The findings are shared today in A Sustainable Future for Leicestershire Business, a report by Glenfield Electrical published today, ahead of International Day of Clean Energy on 26 January.
The key findings include:
- Half of businesses report energy costs rising with just 5% reporting bill reductions
- Three in five firms (60%) said they were concerned about the impact of rising energy costs on business
- Nearly half (47.5%) do not monitor or measure their energy usage
- Some 87.5% of SMEs do not know their energy supplier’s renewable energy mix
- LED lighting is the most widely adopted renewable energy measure, with just over half choosing the cost-effective lights for their premises. Other measures used by local firms include electric vehicles and solar panels
- More than four in five of businesses questioned (82.5%) said they were interested in cutting their carbon footprint
- However, when asked about installing renewable technologies in the next 12 months, only 17.5% said they had firm plans to do so
- Lack of awareness about grants and lease restrictions on rented premises were among the most commons barriers to green and clean energy adoption
Phil Houlder, Managing Director of Glenfield Electrical, said: “Businesses are already facing plenty of obstacles in a difficult financial climate with tax and rate hikes, falling demand and evermore legislation to wade through. On top of that, plenty of other barriers to accessing green, clean energy exist, particularly when it comes to their premises’ landlords and tenancies.
“The survey findings tell us that much more can be done to help hard-working business owners take advantage of the financial and environmental benefits provided by green and clean energy.”
Glenfield Electrical questioned 40 small and medium-sized businesses in Leicestershire in an online poll between September and December 2025. The survey was followed up by interviews with several participants.
Liam Richards, Director of SV Richards in Coalville, said: “Both cost and planning laws are barriers. Another issue is a lack of information about the efficiency of these products and their return on investment. To invest, there needs to be more confidence from the end user that what you’re implementing is going to work, because those upfront costs do scare some people off. With a better breakdown, I think businesses would be more confident in investing in green energy.
“Forcing the changes on SMEs is difficult and that's why the Government needs to be giving more support, including incentives, for net zero to become a reasonable goal by 2050.”
Zoe Darkins, owner and clinic director, Inside-Out Laser Clinics, Mountsorrel, said: “As a business, I rent my premises so I would have loved to have been able to have solar panels installed, which in turn would have helped my electricity costs. Maybe this is something the government could look at, helping landlords to invest in more environmentally friendly energy.
“The cost for most or many business owners is the biggest barrier facing anyone trying to establish themselves with green or sustainable, renewable energy. If costs were lower, then more would invest. Increased running costs in everything day to day have also increased dramatically, which also puts a much harder barrier to overcome there, too.”
Glenfield Electrical is using the insights from the poll and interviews to inform new guidance for local businesses wanting to cut energy costs and ‘go green’, including advice on installing sustainable energy measures, and choosing the right energy tariff.
Mr Houlder said: “Rising energy bills are an existential threat to energy-intensive businesses, so sounding the alarm and finding ways to help them is critically important. We want to find ways to help local businesses achieve the win-wins of both environmentally and, crucially, financially sustainable measures.”
The report A Sustainable Future for Leicestershire Business is available at www.glenfieldelectrical.com/sustainablebusiness
