The Carbon Trust, which offers interest-free loans to businesses that install energy-saving equipment, has extended eligibility for the scheme.

The Carbon Trust, which offers interest-free loans to businesses that install energy-saving equipment, has extended eligibility for the scheme.

The minimum loan size has been reduced from £5,000 to £3,000, while the maximum amount has been doubled from £200,000 to £400,000. The Carbon Trust says this puts the loans within reach of micro-businesses while also helping companies with high energy spends, such as manufacturers.

More than £100 million of loans are expected to be extended to small and medium-sized businesses in the UK within the next two years, including almost £84 million in England.

Carbon Trust chief executive Tom Delay says, ‘Our zero per cent loan offer is as close to free money as a business can get, and is flexible enough to help almost any small or medium business, from the corner fish and chip shop to a factory.’

All loans offered by the Carbon Trust are unsecured, interest-free and repayable over a period of up to four years.