24/11/2010
Small businesses in the UK could benefit from government loans to install new, energy-efficient equipment and invest in a more sustainable future.
According to an article in The Telegraph, thousands of small firms could receive government loans to get rid of old boilers, freezers and other appliances, and replace them with more efficient models.
The new equipment would significantly reduce the energy bills of the small businesses involved, and the money saved would be used to pay back the loans.
Plans for the new scheme are still being discussed, but it is thought that government officials are in talks with several high street banks and energy providers about how the scheme would be administered.
The scheme currently goes under the working title of "The Green Deal for Business," and is understood to be similar to a government plan to provide 6,500 loans to 14m households for new insulation and boilers.
Small firms are sure to welcome the news, as sustainability continues to play an increasingly important role in company growth strategies. Combined with funds freed-up by finance services such as invoice discounting, the government loans are sure to encourage small companies across the UK to invest in sustainable development.
"We are talking to the Government about its energy efficiency scheme for SMEs [small or medium-sized enterprises]," Kanat Emiroglu, managing director of British Gas Business, told The Telegraph.
"They are very receptive about it. I am hoping it will be introduced in a way that's not bureaucratic," Mr Emiroglu added.
Joseph Jeffries