Across the UK, local authorities are under increasing pressure to meet ambitious sustainability targets. Yet every day, those same councils face the reality of budget constraints, complex procurement processes, and infrastructure challenges that slow down, or even stall, essential energy projects.
The result? Targets remain on paper, deadlines loom, stress builds, and real progress feels too far away to even start let alone reach.
At Smarta Energy, a UK energy consultancy, we believe those barriers don’t have to mean standing still, while watching those Net Zero deadlines loom closer and closer. With the right strategy, funding approach, and expert guidance, local authorities can turn these challenges into measurable lasting impact.
That is why we are hosting our upcoming webinar:
From Targets to Tangibles: What’s Working in Council Energy Strategy’s
Tuesday, 19th August 2025 | Online at 2 pm
45 minutes | Q&A at the end | Recorded webinar
The challenges Local Authorities face
We work closely with councils across the UK and understand the common roadblocks that hold projects back:
Funding Limitations
While schemes like the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) cause disturbance in the market, many councils are now seeking alternative funding routes to keep their net zero plans moving. But where do you turn? What other funds are available? What are you even eligible for right now? More questions than answers, and not enough time to decipher the options.
Procurement delays
Many councils are navigating energy procurement with limited internal resources, it’s a knot of complex frameworks, fragmented data, and tight budgets. A recent National Audit Office report underscores the impact, ‘improved procurement oversight across the public sector could unlock up to £500 million per year in savings’.
This isn’t just about policy, it’s about practical opportunity. That’ exactly what our upcoming webinar is designed to address. We will be sharing real-world strategies to help local authorities impact procurement efficiency, secure better deals, and reduce energy costs, all while delivering on sustainability targets.
Infrastructure Readiness
Whether it’s outdated electrical systems or limited grid capacity, the physical groundwork required for upgrades like heat pumps or solar panels can be more complicated than expected. Unknown compliance, unexpected delays, managing the installation process while juggling normal day-to-day tasks, its all overwhelming.
Balancing Priorities
With stretched teams and competing demands, sustainability projects sometimes fall behind urgent day-to-day service delivery needs. It’s a hard balancing act no one should face alone.
