Govt to provide energy-efficiency loans for businesses

Date: 10th December 2008

Thousands of business start-ups could be in line for government-sponsored interest-free loans to cut energy bills.

The payments of up to £100,000 are intended to be used by firms to install energy-saving measures such as ground-source heating and solar panels.

Scottish business start-ups in the transport, agriculture and manufacturing industries, among others, will be eligible for the scheme.

Jim Mather, enterprise minister for the Scottish government, commented: "In a global economic downturn, we will take every step we can to keep the Scottish economy moving.

"In line with our economic recovery plan, more small businesses will now get the best advice and access to interest-free loans for energy-efficiency measures."

He added that including small-scale renewables as part of the programme would give business start-ups encouragement to take part in a "sustainable energy future".

In other news, a lecturer at the Cranfield School of Management recently identified a breed of business start-ups know as 'gazelles', which tend to thrive during challenging economic conditions.