5 Challenges Facing UK Energy Decision Makers, and How to Solve Them

Energy decision makers across the UK are under increasing pressure to deliver on ambitious net zero targets while navigating complex estates, tightening budgets, and shifting government regulations. The challenges are real, but so are the opportunities, especially with the right support in place.

At Smarta Energy, we work alongside public sector organisations, commercial clients, and multi-site estates to cut through complexity and deliver practical, strategic solutions. This blog outlines five of the most common UK energy consultancy challenges and shows how we help our clients overcome them.

1. Policy Confusion and Regulatory Change

The Challenge: 

The UK energy landscape is in flux. From guidance like PPN 06/21 to the evolving requirements of ESOS Phase 3 and SECR, many organisations struggle to stay compliant and up-to-date. These regulations are often written in dense legal language and updated without clear, practical guidance. With business owners already juggling a multitude of objectives and challenges, new regulations just add to the workload and cause unnecessary stress.

The Impact:

• Risk of non-compliance fines

• Uncertainty in strategic planning

• Wasted internal resources decoding policy

Smarta’s Solution: We decode energy legislation into plain English and apply it to your specific estate. Our consultants build tailored compliance timelines and ensure you're always prepared for audits. Think of us as your regulatory co-pilot, keeping you on track, on time, and ahead of the curve. Plus, we are always here to decode complicated legal language.

2. Missed Funding Opportunities

The Challenge:

Millions of pounds in public and private energy funding go unclaimed every year. Why? Because organisations either don’t know they’re eligible or lack the internal time and resources to apply. Grant windows are often short and highly competitive. By the time you know there are grants available, the deadline has already passed.

The Impact:

• Delayed infrastructure upgrades

• Higher upfront investment burdens

• Lower return on energy-saving projects

Smarta’s Solution: Our team constantly monitors funding opportunities, from localised council grants to national schemes like the Renewable Rewards Fund. We assess your eligibility, prepare bids, and manage the application process. That means you secure funding without the admin headache.

3. Complex, Multi-Site Estates

The Challenge:

Councils, NHS Trusts, housing associations, and large commercial organisations often operate across multiple sites. Each location may have different energy suppliers, contract terms, usage patterns, and data collection methods.

The Impact:

• Fragmented energy data and poor visibility

• Procurement inefficiencies

• Missed savings from lack of central control

Smarta’s Solution: We offer end-to-end estate management, using smart tools to unify your data and streamline procurement across all sites. Our energy monitoring platform delivers real-time insights, while our bureau service handles admin tasks like bill validation and supplier queries. You get complete estate visibility and control.

4. Limited Internal Resources and Expertise

The Challenge: 

Many organisations don’t have a dedicated energy manager. Instead, energy decisions fall to overstretched finance or estates teams who juggle dozens of other responsibilities. As a result, strategic planning falls by the wayside.

The Impact:

• Reactive rather than proactive energy strategy

• Admin burden overtaking high-level planning

• Lack of expertise in contract negotiation or reporting

Smarta’s Solution: We become an extension of your internal team. From procurement to compliance reporting, we bring expertise and capacity to your energy strategy. Whether it’s helping you develop a net zero roadmap or managing your day-to-day energy admin, we’re here to lighten the load.

5. Net Zero Pressure Without a Plan

The Challenge:

The UK’s commitment to net zero by 2050 is ambitious and necessary. But for many organisations, the gap between ambition and execution is wide. Without a clear, costed plan, net zero becomes an overwhelming goal. Where do you start? What do you do? How do you do it?

The Impact:

• Carbon reduction stalled due to confusion

• Missed funding due to lack of readiness

• Inconsistent sustainability reporting

Smarta’s Solution: Our consultants create step-by-step net zero plans aligned to your estate, usage, and budget. We use real data to define achievable targets, backed by solar feasibility studies, retrofit plans, and funding support. Our mission? Turn your ambition into tangible progress.

Why Choose Smarta Energy?

Smarta Energy brings clarity, capacity, and compliance to energy consultancy. We know what works because we’re on the ground with clients every day, helping them achieve more with less.

Whether you're a council managing a complex estate, a commercial organisation navigating procurement, or a public body striving for sustainability, we deliver:

• Centralised energy visibility

• Fully managed procurement

• Real-time monitoring and reporting

• Access to exclusive funding schemes

• Step-by-step net zero planning

UK Energy Landscape: 

Don’t Let Challenges Block Your Progress. The UK energy landscape isn’t getting any simpler, but you don’t have to face it alone.

At Smarta Energy, we turn complexity into clarity. Together, we can build a strategy that drives down costs, unlocks funding, and accelerates your sustainability goals.