But the UK’s SMEs are dragging their heels. Old equipment is making their companies uncompetitive and costing a fortune in energy bills – but the price of replacing old equipment is inhibitive. In a Real Business poll, 73.9 per cent of respondents said updating their systems would be “too expensive”, 10.9 per cent said it didn’t concern them, 8.7 per cent said it was too time-consuming and 6.5 per cent admitted they were unaware of how much energy they were wasting.

Worrying stuff.

In response, the Carbon Trust has stumped up its efforts to create a low-carbon economy by doubling the maximum loan limit available to small businesses to £400,000.

The Carbon Trust loans, aimed at helping British SMEs to replace old equipment with new, energy-efficient upgrades, are unsecured and interest free, with no arrangement fees and a straightforward application process. Loans can be repaid over a period of up to four years.

More information is available at www.carbontrust.co.uk/loans or by calling 0800 917 3030.

Answer our poll here.

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