Posts Tagged ‘Scrap Scheme’
To Scrap Or Not To Scrap?
Unless you have buried your head under a rock for the past few months you will be aware of the Government’s latest initiative to kick start the car market, whilst also raising awareness of ‘Green Issues’. This incentive scheme has been referred to as the Scrappage Scheme and has already proved to be successful in terms of increasing the number of new cars sold in this country. The general public have literally flocked in order to get rid of their old bangers and take advantage of the up to £2000 cash incentive towards a new car.
However, there is one small problem; even with the £2000 contribution from Government and the Dealership, a lot of families still can’t afford to splash the cash on a new car. The Government are really pushing their Green agenda, primarily concerned with getting old and environmentally unsound cars off the road. The remaining concern is that new cars are still vastly more expensive than used cars so the used will continue to sell well.
But shouldn’t we feel garguantually guilty about driving used cars that may not be as good for the environment as brand new ones?
The answer is simply No. Most cars made in the past 10-15 years are just as ‘Green’ as their 2009 counterparts. I have been driving a Used Audi for a few months and the Miles per Gallon ratio is identical to the new model, 4 years its junior.
So the choice of whether to take the Government up on their Scrap offer is really up to you. If you want a new car then it makes sense to trade in your old 10+ year model, but if you are interested only buying a Used Car, then by all means do that. It is no less Green to recycle an existing car. In fact, the manufacturing process to make the new car in all probability offsets the carbon emissions you would have prevented. So essentially, the whole scheme seems like a bit of a paradox; or a waste of time, tax-payers money and guilt.