IoD urges Government to reassess how it can target energy bill support to vulnerable businesses

In anticipation of the Government’s announcement of a successor to the Energy Bill Relief Scheme for businesses, Alex Hall-Chen (Alexandra), Principal Policy Advisor for Sustainability, Skills and Employment at the Institute of Directors, said:

“The Energy Bill Relief Scheme has been a crucial intervention, with our research showing that it removed a serious risk to around a quarter of businesses this winter. Businesses will be reassured that support will continue in some form for a further 12 months.

“However, it is a shame that the government has not found a way to target the support to those sectors of the economy particularly exposed to volatile international energy markets. This means that the most vulnerable businesses will lose support at a critical time compared to what they have had this winter. We would encourage government to reassess how it can provide additional ongoing support to those firms.

“It is also crucial that government steps up its efforts to improve the security of the UK’s energy supply and support businesses to implement energy efficiency measures throughout their operations. In this way, we can reduce the UK’s future vulnerability to adverse developments in global energy markets.”