Companies to hear about energy bill support before year end

Companies will know about the future of the support they will get on their energy bills by the end of the year as many worry about the end of the current support in April.

The top civil servant at the business department said her officials had been trying to figure out which companies will need extra help after the support scheme becomes more targeted next year.

“We are currently working with HMT (His Majesty’s Treasury) on a … review of the non-domestic energy support scheme,” said Sarah Munby, permanent secretary at the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Department.

“Ministers have talked about it becoming more targeted after April.

“The question is what does that mean in practice and what does it mean for sectors like hospitality?

“Our analysts have been doing very detailed work … to look at things like how exposed people are to increased energy prices, how vulnerable they are in general – because clearly more economically vulnerable sectors will be more challenged.

“The original commitment was to publish by the end of this year, and we’re expecting to be on time with that, in order to give people a period of adjustment before any changes actually come into force in April.”

The Government promised to pay a significant part of company energy bills in September but said that the support would be seriously curtailed after six months.

Ms Munby’s comments come the same day as pubs and breweries said they would be forced to shut their doors if they are not granted extra support on energy bills past the end of March.

A report produced by the British Beer and Pub Association found the average pub and brewer would make losses of around 20% on average if the support does not continue.

Energy bills are already weighing on these companies but will be “even more lethal” without Government help.