The Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA) is calling on Government to turn growing energy efficiency ambitions into practical support for businesses, as its latest Policy Pulse report reveals increasing recognition of intelligent building controls at the highest levels of national policy.
The second edition of Policy Pulse 2026 highlights significant progress in BCIA's engagement with Government, Parliament and influential national bodies, alongside growing pressure to improve the performance, efficiency and resilience of the UK's non-domestic buildings.
With business energy costs continuing to affect competitiveness and tougher energy efficiency requirements on the horizon, BCIA is urging policymakers to ensure Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS) are recognised as essential to reducing energy consumption, cutting costs and delivering decarbonisation.
The call follows the Autumn Budget, which outlined plans to reduce business energy costs through a new Cost Control Framework, £2.32 billion for the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme to reduce electricity bills for over 10,000 eligible manufacturers in Great Britain by 20-25%, and wider electricity market reforms. However, despite the focus on affordability and competitiveness, the Budget offered no specific new incentives for BEMS or further clarity on dedicated funding for non-domestic retrofit.
Graeme Rees, Interim President of BCIA, said: "The Budget recognises that high energy costs are holding businesses back, but reducing the price of energy is only part of the answer. We also need to help businesses use less of it.
"Building controls can make an immediate difference, often by improving the performance of systems already installed. Yet they're still not getting the recognition they deserve in funding and policy decisions. If we're serious about reducing costs and carbon emissions, that needs to change."
BCIA has been actively making this case through its engagement with policymakers, including submitting evidence to Parliament's Business and Energy inquiry and meeting senior officials from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to advocate for greater recognition of intelligent controls within retrofit funding.
The Association has also strengthened its engagement with the Climate Change Committee, which recognised the contribution BEMS can make to climate adaptation and invited BCIA to participate in an industry roundtable in October. Meanwhile, BCIA's Parliamentary work on workplace temperatures has been followed by confirmation that the Health and Safety Executive is preparing a consultation on updated guidance.
The commercial case for improving building performance is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Research highlighted in Policy Pulse shows that the most energy-efficient buildings can cost between 43% and 75% less to operate annually than the least efficient, reinforcing the financial benefits of investing in energy efficiency.
BCIA's own research further strengthens the case, identifying the potential for advanced BEMS to contribute £12.75 billion to the UK economy by 2050, alongside significant carbon savings.
BCIA says the growing body of evidence, combined with tighter regulation and increasing demand for energy flexibility, reinforces the need to treat intelligent controls as essential building infrastructure rather than an optional addition.
Graeme added: "What's encouraging is that policymakers are listening. We're seeing greater recognition of the role building controls can play in cutting carbon, reducing costs and making buildings more resilient.
"But recognition alone isn't enough. We need policy that makes it easier for businesses to invest and rewards measurable improvements in performance. Building controls shouldn't be an afterthought in energy policy. They need to be part of the plan from the outset."
The latest edition of BCIA's Policy Pulse examines the policy, regulatory and market developments shaping the future of the built environment, while highlighting the Association's ongoing work to represent the building controls industry and influence future decisions.