February 08 2010
ENGLISH farmers will be eligible for unsecured, interest-free loans to help them upgrade to more energy-efficient equipment, under a new scheme which began this month.
The Carbon Trust expects £12 million of funding to be offered, saving farmers and growers £4 million per year in energy costs. The loans are designed to pay for themselves through direct energy savings provided over one to four years.
After the loan is repaid, farmers will make direct savings on their energy costs, as well as cutting the carbon footprint of what they produce. The NFU has worked with the Carbon Trust and Defra to make farm businesses eligible for this campaign. From 1st February 2010, farmers in England can apply for unsecured, interest free loans from the Carbon Trust of between £3,000 and £20,000, to upgrade to more energy efficient equipment.
Further information is available from www.carbontrust.co.uk/loans