This post is about one document: the PPN 006 Carbon Reduction Plan that public sector buyers, the NHS and many large companies ask for. For carbon reporting in general, including SECR and customer questionnaires, see our guide to what carbon reporting costs a UK business.
What you are paying for
A Carbon Reduction Plan is short: six sections in the government's template, covering your net zero commitment, baseline and current emissions, targets, reduction projects and a signed declaration. The writing is the easy part. The cost is in three things:
- collecting a year of energy, fuel, travel, commuting, waste and delivery records;
- turning them into tonnes of CO2e for Scope 1, Scope 2 and five Scope 3 categories, with the right year's government factors;
- doing it again every year, because the plan must be updated within six months of each financial year end.
No route removes the first job. Someone in your business has to find the bills. What you are buying is help with the second and third.
The options, with published prices
| Route | Example | Published price |
|---|---|---|
| Do it yourself | Our free template and the government factors | Staff time only |
| Software with a per-report fee | EcoHedge | £24 a month plus £199 per report, or £99 a month; enterprise by quote |
| Annual software subscription | Compare Your Footprint | From £769, £1,569 or £3,069 a year + VAT, depending on organisation size; enterprise by quote |
| Scope 1 and 2 only software | Zevero Lite | Lite (Scope 1 and 2) from £1,500 a year; Essential, Leading and Premium by quote |
| Consultant | The Carbon Stamp | From £895 + VAT, then a fixed price by team size |
| Monthly software, revisions included for each reporting year | Carbon Recycling Starter | £59 a month + VAT, no per-report fee |
Prices as published by each provider on the date shown in the sources below. Many other providers price by quote only; our comparison of UK carbon reporting software lists them.
One thing to check with any tool: a PPN 006 plan needs Scope 3 categories 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9 as well as Scope 1 and 2. A product that only covers Scope 1 and 2 leaves you to do those five yourself.
What a year actually costs
Monthly prices are hard to compare with one-off fees, so think in years. A plan has to be refreshed annually, which means a per-report fee or a consultant's fee comes round again each year too. On Carbon Recycling's Starter plan, a full year paid upfront is £590 + VAT, and that covers the Carbon Reduction Plan and SECR report for one reporting year, so a revised version after a buyer's feedback costs nothing extra. An earlier reporting year can be added for half the yearly price. You can also pay monthly with a 12-month minimum, and there is a 14-day free trial with no card needed.
Be honest with yourself about which fits. If you need one plan, once, for a simple business, a single per-report fee or the free template may be cheapest. If you will update it every year, answer customer questionnaires from the same figures, or bid regularly, a subscription usually works out better. If nobody in the business can spare a few days, a consultant earns their fee.
Costs that catch people out
- The annual update. A plan from two years ago is out of date under PPN 006's yearly review, so budget for the work again each year.
- Rework after a buyer's comments, if your provider charges per version.
- Your own time. Gathering data is a few days in the first year whichever route you choose. Organised bills make every option cheaper.
- Things you don't need. Independent verification, offsets and certification marks are optional extras. PPN 006 asks for none of them.
- Bigger requirements coming. From 1 April 2027, NHS contracts of £5 million a year or more and new NHS frameworks need global plans covering all relevant Scope 3. Check that your route can grow with you.
When an outside review is worth it
If a large contract depends on the plan, it can be worth paying a carbon consultant to read it against the technical standard before you submit. It is optional: PPN 006 asks for board approval and a director's signature, not a review. For most small firms writing a straightforward plan, our post on writing a Carbon Reduction Plan without a consultant shows you can do without.
