A Halifax-based energy business has doubled in size after its CEO enrolled on the Help to Grow: Management Course to evolve its services and provide greater support to the fuel poor community.
Established in 2000 as a division of Kirklees Council, YES Energy Solutions is an award-winning community interest company (CIC) dedicated to reducing CO2 emissions and helping to alleviate fuel poverty amongst consumers, businesses and public sector organisations.
As a CIC it prioritises the reinvestment of the business’ profits to further its social impact objectives, which it achieves through the provision of energy saving consultancy services, the installation of renewable energy technologies, end-to-end project management and energy company obligation (ECO) funding facilities.
Duncan McCombie, CEO of YES Energy Solutions, wanted to help people save more money on their energy bills amidst the backdrop of surging energy prices and rising household bills. To do this, he enrolled on the 12-week Help to Grow: Management Course to help him diversify his business.
Delivered by Sheffield Business School at Sheffield Hallam University – a recipient of the Small Business Charter that recognises institutions that support small businesses – the course is designed to help business leaders and senior managers to meet their growth ambitions, inspire innovation and increase resilience.
It equipped Duncan with the knowledge to launch a new energy advice service. This has helped his customers to save more than £1million on their energy bills in the last seven months through the support of specialist consultants who provide tailored advice on improving energy efficiency within the home and the installation of sustainable energy assets.
YES Energy Solutions has also grown its headcount from 50 to 85 people since Duncan completed the course and has plans to hire its 100th employee by the end of the year. The company is also targeting an 80% rise in turnover to £50m by the end of this year, which will enable further reinvestment of profits back into the business. This will allow the CIC to help even more householders in fuel poverty, growing from 4,000 to almost 10,000 by the end of the year.
Duncan McCombie, CEO of YES Energy Solutions, said: 'The UK is going through an energy revolution and both energy consumption and generation will play a huge part in how consumers can optimise their energy systems. It's vital we make the right technology and support available to all households so no one is excluded from the net zero movement, allowing them to make informed decisions.
'The rising cost of living has also meant demand for energy advice and support has increased significantly, so there’s an even bigger opportunity for my team to support more communities and help them to become more energy efficient. To achieve this we needed a clear strategy that allowed us to diversify our services and expand.
The knowledge I gained on the Help to Grow: Management Course has given me the skills to deliver this and more, and I’m looking forward to increasing our support for consumers as we continue to grow the business.'
Michael Hayman MBE, Chair, Small Business Charter, added: “The Help to Grow: Management Course was designed to help small businesses boost their performance and build resilience, so they could emerge stronger from the challenges of the pandemic and the tough market conditions that followed. Since the course's inception, our goal has been to demonstrate how investing in leadership teams can transform the way businesses operate to create more rounded, future-proofed SMEs.
“Through the support of Help to Grow: Management, Duncan has set a great example of how a business leader can have a positive impact on a specific community whilst still delivering commercial growth. We look forward to seeing YES Energy Solutions continue to innovate, grow and deliver great social impact.”
Business leaders can find out more about Help to Grow: Management and sign up for the course in their area here.