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 | £769, £1,569 or £3,069 a year; enterprise by quote |
| Scope 1 and 2 only software | Zevero Lite | Lite (Scope 1 and 2) from £1,500 a year; main plans by quote |
| Consultant | The Carbon Stamp | From £895 + VAT, then a quote by team size |
| Monthly software, unlimited plans | Carbon Recycling Starter | £59 a month, 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 is £708, and that includes unlimited Carbon Reduction Plans and SECR reports, so a second plan for a different reporting year, or a revised version after a buyer's feedback, costs nothing extra. Billing is monthly with no contract, 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 expert review is worth it
If a large contract depends on the plan, it can be worth having someone read it against the technical standard before you submit. Carbon Recycling's one-off expert review is £395: an expert checks your plan against PPN 006 and sends written feedback on anything that could cost you marks. It is separate from your subscription, and one review a year is included in the Enterprise plan. For most small firms writing a straightforward plan, our post on writing a Carbon Reduction Plan without a consultant shows you can do without.
How Carbon Recycling helps
You add your bills and records, and Carbon Recycling produces the plan in the government format with the right factor for each year, ready for a director to sign. Starter is £59 a month for a single business; Growth, at £149 a month, adds more users and sites and lets you send data requests to your own suppliers. See our pricing page for the full details.