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“Make do and mend” costs British business £3bn a year in wasted energy

Theo Paphitis and the Carbon Trust launch scrappage scheme for power-guzzling equipment.

British businesses are being forced to “make do and mend” with old, inefficient equipment, as over half (52%), don’t have the cash to upgrade it. Well over half of small and medium-sized businesses (60%) wait until their equipment breaks down completely before replacing it.

The problem is costing businesses £3.3bn a year in wasted energy according to the Carbon Trust. It was revealed in a survey of 1,500 small and medium-sized businesses at the launch, by Dragon’s Den star Theo Paphitis, of the Carbon Trust’s Big Business Refit campaign.

The Big Business Refit aims to help businesses to scrap their old power-guzzling equipment and replace it with new equipment that’s more efficient and cheaper to run. It provides expert guidance, plus financial support in the form of £100m in interest free funding, which can be paid back through the energy savings the new equipment delivers.

Theo Paphitis said: “The Big Business Refit calls on all UK businesses to scour their premises for old equipment, from air conditioning, to fridges, compressors to factory machinery. With interest-free funding available to replace equipment, leading to average energy savings of 15%, and no security required, it’s an unbelievable deal.”

The Big Business Refit runs until 31 March 2010. It offers advice on identifying old equipment, and guidance on suitable replacements in clinics in UK cities, including London, Birmingham, Manchester and Belfast. Businesses can get expert advice, a free energy saving assessment, or apply for interest free funding by calling 01865 885879, or visiting http://www.bigbusinessrefit.co.uk/

The survey shows that around half of businesses are missing out on the opportunity to reduce bottom line costs through energy efficiency:

Over half (57%) have resorted to staff cuts to save cash.
Nearly half (46%) are unaware that they can cut energy costs by replacing old equipment.
Nearly half (41%) have accepted higher energy bills as a fixed cost, preferable to paying the upfront cost of replacing old equipment.

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