Hello and welcome back to my blog where I discuss all things business, entrepreneurship, and angel investment.
 
Since founding my first business back in 1993, I’ve focused on creating a diverse portfolio of businesses, including tech, property, SaaS, and data, as well as minority and majority stakes in various businesses.

In this blog, I’m turning the spotlight on one of my newest investments. While this is rather new territory for me, the business was created to address an issue that affects us all: climate change. That’s why I’m pleased to introduce, Tariff.com, a net-zero consultancy service.

 

 

What is Tariff.com?

Tariff.com is a net-zero consultant and energy management service. It specialises in helping businesses take control of their energy usage and carbon emissions. But what does taking control of your energy usage mean? To different businesses, this can mean different things.

That’s why Tariff.com can offer a range of services to help businesses meet their energy goals. This includes things like switching energy suppliers, bill analysis, carbon audits and net-zero support. Above all, Tariff.com is here to promote sustainable business operations and help businesses reduce their carbon emissions or go net-zero.

It’s safe to say that sustainable or ‘green’ businesses are the future, but I know that won’t happen overnight. Tariff.com is also here to spread awareness about the benefits of operating more sustainably and acting against climate change. In that way, we’re using the platform and the business to push for a greener future.

 

What’s the Vision Behind Tariff.com?

As a business owner, I know first-hand the challenges of trying to run a sustainable business. But as business owners and leaders, it’s vital that we take responsibility for our business’s emissions and try our best to limit their impact on the planet.

One of my companies, Elite Group, has recently made several changes to reduce carbon emissions including:

• Switching over to renewable energy sources
• Installing EV charging points at the offices
• Pledging to only buy hybrid or electric cars
• Supporting carbon offset projects

 

It’s already a decent list, but there’s still work to be done. Transforming a business to sustainable ways of working can be time-consuming and complicated. The idea for Tariff.com grew from my own experiences of trying to manage a sustainable business; I wanted to empower other business owners to act.

Tariff.com was created to help support businesses on their sustainability or net-zero journey, providing both practical advice and hands-on support to businesses that want to operate more sustainably but don’t know where to start. It’s about taking a complex and multi-faceted journey and breaking it down into small and achievable steps that all add up to make significant changes. Add to that the support of our consultants, and I think Tariff.com can truly make a positive difference.

 

How Can Tariff.com Help Businesses Be More Sustainable?

The Tariff team are here to help businesses reduce their carbon emissions or even go net-zero. We know it’s not easy to transition a business to net-zero emissions. That’s why Tariff.com has created a 5-step process to take businesses from planet polluters to net-zero heroes. Let’s take a closer look at how Tariff.com can help businesses reach a net-zero target.

• Calculate- Measuring the carbon footprint and environmental impact of a business.
• Target- Set achievable targets to tackle emissions and start the net-zero journey.
• Reduce- Reduce your energy consumption and switch businesses over to renewable energy.
• Offset- Offset any remaining emissions with carbon credits and environmental projects.
• Result- Measure the results of these changes and help share this success with your customers

 

Our team is trained to carry out carbon audits and make recommendations to conserve energy and reduce emissions. When it comes to carbon credits, we’ve established partnerships with some of the most reputable companies in the industry. This ensures we’re supporting ethical providers and that our green partners are fully vetted and 100% genuine.

 

Why does Tariff.com Focus on Net Zero?

At Tariff.com, we’re encouraging all businesses to try and get to net zero… but you may be wondering why we’ve chosen this as our focal point. In order to stop global temperatures from increasing to dangerous levels, we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Climate scientists generally agree that we need to reach a net-zero target by 2050 to prevent global temperatures from increasing by more than 1.5 degrees; the max we can let temperatures increase before we start to experience catastrophic effects.

The UK Government also aims to reach a national net-zero target by 2050. Whilst this is an ambitious target, we all need to do our bit to reduce emissions if we’re going to meet it. Tariff.com is here to support UK businesses on their net-zero journey, ensuring both they and the country can meet a net-zero target.

 

Why Is It Important That Businesses Reduce Emissions?

Climate change is something that affects us all. And we all have a duty to make positive changes for the planet. Businesses are no exception and not only have a moral obligation to act but also potentially a legal requirement as well. There are currently two schemes in the UK that could impact big businesses and the way they measure and report their emissions. Let’s take a closer look at the two:

• SECR (Streamlined Energy & Carbon Reporting)

The SECR came into effect in April 2019 and requires all quoted, unquoted and LLPs to reveal both their energy usage and emissions every year. Businesses that meet the following criteria have to report this information or could face a fine.

• 250 or more employees
• A yearly turnover of more than £36m
• An annual balance sheet of £18m or more
• In addition to this, companies must also report what action they are taking to increase the energy efficiency of their business.

• ESOS (Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme)

The ESOS is an energy assessment and saving scheme that started in 2014. It’s a different scheme to the SECR, although some organisations will have to complete both. Unlike the SECR, ESOS reporting is only required every 4 years. Organisations or UK undertakings qualify for ESOS if they:

• Employ 250 or more people
• Has an annual turnover of over €50 million and an annual balance sheet of €43 million or over.
• As laid out on the gouk website, the ESOS comprises several main stages, including:
• Identifying all parts of an organisation
• Identifying total energy consumption
• Identifying significant energy consumption (at least 90% of your total energy consumption)
• Carrying out an audit on all significant energy consumption
• Identifying energy savings opportunities

How Else can Tariff.com Help My Business?

Beyond net-zero consultancy, Tariff.com can also offer support for business utilities and energy management. The team can carry out an audit of your electricity, gas and water bills, looking for any discrepancies and comparing your current tariffs to others on the market.

Whilst the energy market is extremely volatile at the moment, your business could still make savings on your water bills. For example, did you know you could save 30% on your water bills by switching suppliers? The Tariff.com team not only aims to help the planet but also your business.

So that’s Tariff.com and a bit about the background of the company. At the time of writing, the net-zero target is only 28 years away! Will we meet that goal? Only time will tell. In the meantime, I hope that Tariff.com can help businesses reach their own net-zero targets and that my businesses and investments will continue their journey towards net-zero emissions.

 

Visit the Tariff.com Website

Climate change is an issue that affects us all and business leaders have an obligation to join the fight. Whether you’re looking to switch to a green tariff, manage your energy usage or reach a net-zero goal, the Tariff.com consultants are here to support you and your business.

If you want to find out more about Tariff.com or are interesting in reducing your business’s impact on the planet, why not check out the new Tariff.com website for yourself? Our friendly and knowledgeable consultants are here to support your business and a greener future.

Matt Newing is a self-made entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist who’s always on the lookout for the latest and greatest business opportunities. If you have a business that needs to be taken to the next level, get in touch with Matt today.