The Big Business Refit will offer SMEs expert advice and financial support to slash their energy costs by scrapping old inefficient equipment and replacing it with new energy-efficient models.   With a total of £100 million in available loans, the Big Business Refit is expected to help up to 3,000 UK SMEs save a total of £40 million in their annual energy costs.

SMEs can also benefit from free energy saving assessments from a Carbon Trust expert and a tailored action plan that identifies the savings that could be made by replacing energy-guzzling equipment.

This initiative 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 saving an average of £14,000 each on their annual energy bills – a collective total of almost £6m a year. 

The top choices among the SMEs that have taken a Carbon Trust loan in the first six months of 2009 are:

• New energy efficient lighting and lighting controls, a key way for any business to save money, provided annual savings of nearly £1m for the companies we have helped.
• Replacement air compressors, used for powering pneumatic tools, provided annual energy savings of £400,000.
• Mechanised materials handling equipment, such as cranes, which are used to load heavy equipment, provided annual savings of £400,000.

SMEs wanting to take part in the Big Business Refit can get expert advice from the Carbon Trust by calling 01865 885879 or looking at the website.