£2.5m cash ready for the Big Business Refit

28 October 2009

The Carbon Trust has called on UK building services distribution suppliers to take advantage of a £2.5m sales opportunity from its equipment scrappage scheme.

Called The Big Business Refit, it provides small and medium businesses with £100m in interest-free funding to replace old equipment and install new energy efficient upgrades. Around £2.5m of this money is likely to be spent on building services distribution systems, according to Carbon Trust estimates.
“Building services distribution systems has been one of the most popular choices of energy-efficient kit for businesses that have taken Carbon Trust loans in the past. Suppliers can increase their revenue by millions by making their customers aware of this funding and how to apply,” said Hugh Jones, Director, Solutions, the Carbon Trust.
London-based voltage optimisation equipment supplier, powerPerfector, has already benefited from the Big Business Refit. It has sold nearly £570,000 of equipment paid for by interest-free Carbon Trust loans in the last five months. CEO, Angus Robertson, said: “The Big Business Refit has made more businesses aware of the unnecessary burden that old building services equipment puts on their bottom lines. With unsecured, interest-free funding available to help businesses replace old building services equipment, there’s a growing awareness amongst customers that, there’s no need to ‘make do and mend."
The Big Business Refit was launched in September 2009, by Dragon’s Den star, Theo Paphitis, after Carbon Trust research revealed that over half (52 percent) of British businesses don’t have the cash to upgrade old, inefficient equipment. The Carbon Trust is now experiencing a 250 percent surge in enquiries about the loans, as more businesses become aware of the opportunity to cut their energy bills by scrapping old equipment.
Jacqueline Balian, Managing Director, CIBSE Services said: “In the drive for carbon efficient buildings, improving access to funding for new energy efficient equipment is a great benefit for small and medium sized businesses. CIBSE believes that reducing carbon emissions from existing commercial buildings is a key factor in working towards a more sustainable future.”
Hugh Jones added: “Another benefit of the scheme is that the Carbon Trust verifies the projected energy savings of replacement projects. In doing so, it’s a great way for customers to receive an independent view of the energy savings they can make – which can be crucial to reaching a purchasing deal.”
The Carbon Trust is offering free training to any supplier interested in the sales opportunity provided by the Big Business Refit. The organisation is also inviting suppliers to attend a forum in Birmingham on 14 October 2009 to learn more about the scheme. For more information visit: www.bigbusinessrefit.co.uk or call 01865 885 873.