Green scheme gets funding boost

The Royal Hill Inn near Oswestry is taking part in the scheme

A scheme to help make businesses go green and cut carbon emissions has received £67,000 in extra funding.

Firms in Bishops Castle, Cleobury Mortimer, Ellesmere and Oswestry in Shropshire can join Project Carbon to get energy audits carried out.

Low energy light bulbs will be installed and the old incandescent bulbs recycled.

Officials will travel to the companies in a van powered by bio-diesel from school kitchens in Shropshire.

The project is funded and managed by the Low Carbon Communities for Business initiative, the Rural Regeneration Zone and Shropshire County Council.

A spokesman from the project said that it is estimated that an average business swapping to low energy light bulbs will save over £750 in electricity bills per year and around five tonnes of carbon dioxide.

The government has said traditional light bulbs could be taken off the shelves of UK shops within three years and replaced with energy-saving alternatives.