Metals Manufacturing
The metals industry is one of the UK’s most energy-intensive sectors, with processes such as smelting, casting, forging, and heat treatment requiring vast amounts of electricity and gas. Rising energy costs, global competition, and ambitious Net Zero targets place huge pressure on manufacturers to improve efficiency and cut emissions without compromising output or product quality.
Businesswise Solutions partners with leading metals manufacturers to deliver smarter energy strategies, reduce costs, and drive measurable carbon reductions.
The iron and steel industry currently accounts for approximately 8% of global final energy demand and 7% of energy sector CO2 emissions (including process emissions).
Findings from a recent sentiment of the Iron and Steel Technology Roadmap report in partnership with the IEA.
A million jobs and the backbone of green tech
The metals industry supports a massive workforce of over 11,500 firms, but also underpins the renewables and EV supply chains (wind turbines, EV parts, and sustainable infrastructure).
Cost-effective energy procurement and bureau services
With high dependence on both gas and electricity, metals manufacturers are especially vulnerable to energy market volatility. Securing the right procurement strategy can mean the difference between protecting margins and facing unsustainable costs.
Our expert trading team builds tailored procurement strategies that balance risk and opportunity, while our bureau services ensure ongoing contract management, invoice validation, and performance tracking.
A metals manufacturer saved over £500,000 on gas costs by leveraging our market intelligence and agile procurement support, outperforming day one pricing in a challenging market.
End-to-end energy management
Metals production processes, from induction furnaces and casting to rolling mills and finishing, are among the most energy-intensive in UK manufacturing. Inefficiencies in these systems can quickly translate into wasted energy and unnecessary cost.
Our Energy Management as a Service (EMaaS) gives you real-time visibility of consumption across sites, equipment, and processes. By identifying waste, analysing peak demand, and optimising operations, we help manufacturers cut energy use, reduce emissions, and improve profitability.
At one metal manufacturer’s site, we installed 80 Energy Insight sensors, uncovering optimisation opportunities worth £780,000 in potential savings. This equated to 14GW of reduced consumption and 2,546 tonnes of CO₂ savings, demonstrating both financial and environmental impact.
Supporting the metals industry with energy and carbon compliance
The metals sector faces some of the strictest compliance obligations and getting it right isn’t just about avoiding fines, it’s about unlocking reliefs, protecting profitability, and strengthening sustainability credentials in an increasingly competitive market.
Our compliance experts ensure reporting is accurate, timely, and audit-ready. We also identify and secure relief opportunities, helping metals manufacturers reduce tax burdens while meeting their regulatory commitments.
Our compliance team are experts in:
- SECR
- CCA / CCL
- ESOS
- ESG policy
- Energy Intensive Relief
For one casting manufacturer, we secured £170,000 in annual savings by identifying opportunities within the Targeted Charging Review (TCR) and supporting a successful reclassification of their meters.