ENERGYbubble removes initial consultancy fees to help British manufacturers access new industrial electricity relief
ENERGYbubble, an energy consultancy born from within a UK manufacturing business, has announced that it will provide initial British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) application and ongoing management to UK manufacturers free of charge.
The announcement coincides with BICS applications opening in the 1st October.
The Government says more than 10,000 businesses across Great Britain could benefit from the scheme, which is intended to reduce electricity bills for eligible manufacturers by up to 25%.
Applications for the first year of the scheme must be submitted by 30 November 2026.
Unlike many traditional energy consultancies, ENERGYbubble entered the energy sector from the customer’s side.
The business grew out of its founders’ experience as significant industrial energy users within UK manufacturing, where electricity costs, volatile wholesale markets and increasingly complex non-commodity charges directly affected manufacturing margins.
Aaron Dardi, Managing Director of ENERGYbubble, said:
“ENERGYbubble exists because we were manufacturers before we were energy consultants. We have sat on the other side of the table. We understand what it feels like when electricity becomes one of the largest costs in a business and another complicated energy scheme lands on the desk of a finance director or managing director who already has a factory to run.”
“BICS has the potential to make a meaningful difference to British manufacturers. We don’t believe businesses should have to give away part of that benefit simply to understand whether they qualify and navigate the application process. That is why we’ve decided not to charge manufacturers for managing their initial BICS application.”
ENERGYbubble’s free service will include initial eligibility support, reviewing relevant SIC and HS classifications, understanding evidence requirements, support preparing the initial application and maintaining the savings across the scheme.
The offer is available to manufacturers regardless of whether they are existing ENERGYbubble energy procurement customers.
BICS provides eligible manufacturing businesses with exemptions from indirect costs associated with the Renewables Obligation, Feed-in Tariffs and the Capacity Market.
Government guidance requires businesses to meet criteria including operating within an eligible manufacturing sector, manufacturing eligible products in Great Britain and using at least 33MWh of grid-supplied electricity annually at the relevant site.
Dardi continued:
“British manufacturing has a structural energy-cost challenge. We know that because our business came from manufacturing. Manufacturers should be spending their time making products, employing people and investing in factories, not becoming experts in energy regulation. If we can use the expertise we’ve built to remove one of those barriers, we think that’s worth doing.”
ENERGYbubble also believes some eligible companies may risk missing the first application window because they are unaware of BICS, uncertain about their eligibility or delay gathering the required evidence.
Government guidance states that applications must be accurate and complete when submitted and cannot subsequently be amended.
Dardi added:
“Our message to manufacturers is simple: if you’re unsure whether BICS applies to your business, speak to us. We’ll look at it, explain what is required and, where appropriate, help manage the initial application. There is no consultancy fee for doing so.”
