Green power loans

Monklands firms are being urged to go green and save almost £ 20,000 in energy bills.

Figures from Zero Waste Scotland show small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) waste around £19,000 on average each year that could have been avoided by being more energy-efficient.

Scottish Government loans of up to £100,000 are available to help firms make changes.

Examples include installing LED lighting, better insulation, boiler upgrades and renewable technologies and can range in scale and cost, with funding of £1000 to £100,000 available.

Zero Waste Scotland chief executive Iain Gulland said: “We know many businesses share our vision of maximising resource efficiency and keeping costly waste to a minimum and often it’s the initial investment needed that’s the missing ingredient.

“The SME loan fund is a great way for enterprises to make optimum use of energy, water and waste under expert guidance at no extra cost, ultimately delivering savings while helping the environment.”

The organisation said Scottish companies could save £2.9 billion every year by using energy, water and raw materials more efficiently.

Mr Gulland added: “Businesses from a wide range of sectors have already benefitted from SME loan funding and we want to see even more taking up this fantastic opportunity.

“We look forward to working with small and medium-sized businesses with big ambitions for reducing their carbon footprint.”

For more details visit www.resourceefficientscotland.com