New ‘green loans’ available from September

The Carbon Trust this month expects to launch The Big Business Refit, which will offer SMEs expert advice and financial support to slash energy costs by scrapping old inefficient equipment and replacing it with new energy-efficient models. ECA is encouraging its members to explore this new programme, and encourage their clients to do so as well.

The scheme follows a recession-driven surge in demand for the Carbon Trust's interest-free business loans. In the first six months of 2009, hundreds of SMEs from bakeries to plastics factories have been given loans at zero-interest to equip their businesses with the latest energy-saving technology. As a result, they are said to be saving an average of £14,000 each on their annual energy bills - a collective total of almost £6m a year.

Tom Delay, chief executive, the Carbon Trust, said: "Business owners are realising that for every month they ‘make do and mend' with old inefficient equipment, they are wasting more cash on unnecessarily high energy bills."

The Carbon Trust's unsecured, interest-free loans can be used for equipment replacements costing between £3,000 and £400,000. The loans are designed to pay for themselves through direct energy savings, so that once the loan is repaid, savings go straight to bottom line. With a total of £100m in loans available, the Big Business Refit is expected to help up to 3,000 UK SMEs save a total of £40m off their annual energy costs.

For more information visit the www.carbontrust.co.uk or call 01865 885879.