Start with the cheap tonnes

Efficiency projects rarely make headlines, but they pay back fastest and free up cash for the harder moves. In this illustrative pathway, the first two years are almost all efficiency and on-site generation.

Then the structural moves

Electrifying heat, switching fuels and changing the asset base take longer and depend on grid connections and policy. Sequencing them after the quick wins means the business funds them from savings, not from a new capital request.

• Years one and two: efficiency and controls

• Years two to four: on-site generation and storage

• Years three to six: electrification and asset changes

Keep the plan honest

Review the pathway every year against actual cost and grid timing. A plan that never changes is a plan nobody is using.