The Local Authority Energy Financing (LAEF) Scheme exists to invest money in energy efficiency measures to drive down energy costs in the County Council's buildings. We have so far invested over £750,000 saving over £160,000 in energy bills each year, which equates to over 1000 tonnes of carbon. Using the LAEF Scheme, energy-saving improvements have been carried out in over 60 schools across Nottinghamshire and this number is increasing all the time.
The LAEF Scheme can provide building users with the technical expertise, support and capital funding necessary to reduce energy use, to save money and reduce carbon emissions. We remain available to assist throughout the process, ensuring projects progress smoothly.
Your Energy and Carbon Management Team representative can arrange to visit your site to carry out an Energy Survey to identify appropriate energy saving measures. If the proposed energy saving measures demonstrate a good payback, the Council can loan the capital to cover the project cost.
The loan is paid back using fuel cost savings made by the energy saving measure(s) during the payback period. The majority of energy saving measures have a payback period of between 2-4 years. These are an excellent investment as reducing energy consumption is the only way to futureproof against increasing fuel prices.
The LAEF Scheme operates as a community-minded cyclical Fund, where interest free loan repayments are made available for reinvestment in future projects.
What types of projects are eligible for funding through the LAEF Scheme?
- Building management system upgrades
- Energy saving IT equipment
- Voltage power optimisation
- Lighting upgrades
- Insulation
- Boiler load optimisation
These are the most common types of measure to be financed through the LAEF Scheme as they yield a high carbon saving and have relatively low capital cost. However, many other measures may be eligible and are highlighted in the Energy Survey provided by your Energy and Carbon Management team.
Are there any additional costs?
The Energy and Carbon Management team provides professional services to those who request an Energy Survey. A small project management fee is added to the interest-free loan, depending on the total project value, to cover project management costs incurred. A full explanation of the project management fee will be given by the Energy Management Officer that visits your site.
Please contact your Energy Management Officer on tel: 0115 9774851 or email: energy.en@nottscc.gov.uk to arrange a visit to your County Council office building or school.
