smallbusiness.co.uk: Helping your business think big

A Man’s World

The issue of gender inequality in the workplace never goes...
Have your say »

RSS

Energy-efficient loans doubled

Oct 01 2008

The Carbon Trust has doubled the amount small businesses can borrow to make their company more energy efficient.

According to the organisation, the maximum value of the interest-free loans is now £200,000, having previously been £100,000.

Companies can borrow the money on a four-year basis to upgrade equipment to more energy-efficient models.

Hugh Jones from the trust says the previous limit made it difficult for firms to fund bigger projects like lighting or boiler replacements.

'The larger loans pave the way for companies to ... significantly reduce both their carbon emissions and their energy bills, which in turn will enable them to reduce operational costs and become more competitive,' he states.

Jones adds that the tightened credit conditions are making it harder to find funding for additional projects like these.

The trust's overall fund has been increased by 45 per cent, to £31 million for 2008.

A report from the Carbon Trust recently revealed reducing emissions in a firm can increase the value of a company by up to 80 per cent.

Comments

There are currently no comments on this article

Barclays Business Start Up Account

Everything you need in one place from help with planning to getting more customers, to FREE seminars and a credit checking service to help you get paid quicker. Plus, up to 2 years FREE banking (conditions apply). Apply online

Barclaycard Commercial – Visa Gold and Platinum Credit Cards

Great benefits including Travel Accident Cover, 90 day Purchase protection, extended warranties and cardholder misuse insurance. Plus enhanced business travel insurance for Platinum cardholders. Get up to 56 days’ interest-free credit, when bills are paid in full and on time each month. Also enjoy exclusive discounts in association with Visa, the AA, Rymans, Reed Learning and Daisy Telecom. Find out more.

Finance for your Franchise

HSBC’s dedicated franchise team will help you develop your franchise business to its full potential and provide a bespoke finance package to meet your individual requirements. To find out how HSBC can help your franchise business, click here

Prize Draw

IT Trends for SMEs in 2010

Smallbusiness.co.uk has teamed up with network support company Lifeline IT to ensure your business' IT systems are in the best shape for 2010. Enter our short survey and your company could win two hours of free IT consultancy. To take part click here

Polls

Latest News

‘Banks are not supportive,’ say SMEs

Bank managers are among the least trusted group to approach when owner-managers are seeking financial advice, according to research from Close Invoice Finance. 

SMEs hit by stealth bank charges

A thaw on bank lending to businesses is being nullified by a raft of new stealth charges, claims Clifton Asset Management.

Business lending still too steep

Banks are imposing extra charges, increasing interest rates and demanding personal guarantees for lending to small businesses – and the government’s Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) scheme has done little to help.

Bring on 2010, say SMEs

UK businesses expect market conditions to improve in the last quarter of what has been a desperate 2009, a new survey has found.

Darling turns heat up on banks

Alistair Darling will today urge banks to increase SME lending.

Steep fall in GDP scuppers Chancellor’s predictions

The economy fell at a much sharper rate than expected in the second quarter of 2009, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Inflation falls below two per cent

Inflation has fallen below the Bank of England’s target rate of two per cent for the first time since 2007.

‘Quantative easing must continue,’ say economists

Economists have criticised the Bank of England’s decision to stall its quantative easing programme.

SMEs 'seek funds from family'

The number of small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) owners who would consider borrowing money from friends or family has doubled in the past year, a new study suggests.

BCC: Firms face tough recovery

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) Quarterly Economic Survey claims that the worst of the recession has passed, but businesses still face tough conditions.

Rural businesses 'need immediate help'

Small local enterprises need urgent support to help them claim relief from business rates, says the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

Guides & Tips

Are banks backing your business?

SMEs tell us how the banking situation is affecting them

Bank loans for small businesses

Banks are beginning to post healthy profits again, but SMEs say they are still being hit hard by lending terms. Here we speak to entrepreneurs, analysts and bankers to find out the reality of credit conditions.

Keeping the Bank happy

Trevor Nobbs, associate director of Barclays business support team, to offer some top tips to staying on your bank manager’s good side during the downturn.

Don't Miss

Loans scheme for start-ups falls flat

Last month the government launched a finance package to help struggling small businesses access bank loans, but SMEs say they aren’t seeing the benefits.

Your first business loan

If your business plan and financial forecasts are sound, you may be feeling brave enough to approach a bank for funding.

Is your current account as good as it should be?

In the UK, most people have a current account of some sort, and the reality is that most people don't spend a huge amount of time thinking about anything other than the balance in them. Usually, people stick with their current account provider for years and assuming mistakes aren't made, pay little attention to them beyond that.

Store

FT Guide to Personal Tax

Formerly the Lloyds TSB Tax Guide, the FT Guide to Personal Tax is now published by Pearson Education. Written by Sara Williams, CEO of Vitesse Media Plc and Jonquil Lowe, this unique guide gives step-by-step advice to completing your tax return as well as 100 tax-saving tips.

FT Guide to Business Start Up

Formerly the Lloyds TSB Small Business Guide, the FT Guide to Business Start Up is now published by Pearson Education. Written by Sara Williams, CEO of Vitesse Media Plc, this unique guide has sold over two million copies. It offers practical advice about starting and running your own business.

Growth Company Investor

Growth Company Investor is widely recognised as the leading magazine for investors interested in AIM and smallcap companies. Published 10 times per year, and brought to you by an award-winning analyst team, it offers subscribers unrivalled insight into high-potential smaller companies. Subscribe today with a 50% discount in your first year.