Trade associations representing high-street businesses including pubs, breweries, hairdressers, local shops and other small businesses have today written to the Chair of the newly formed Energy Security Committee to plead for urgent action to save them from the energy crisis.
In a joint letter (attached) to Angus MacNeil MP, Chair of the newly formed cross-party Energy Security and Net Zero Committee, organisations including the British Beer and Pub Association, The Association of Convenience Stores, National Hair & Beauty Federation and the Federation of Small Businesses have outlined the “unprecedented cost pressures arising from non-domestic energy supply”, urging the group to convene an urgent inquiry into supplier behaviour and save small businesses across the country from ruin.
Together, the organisations represent businesses supporting millions of jobs across the country and have each raised the alarm about the extreme burden placed on them by rocketing energy costs in the past year.
Now, the groups have joined together to warn of the potential huge losses that will be felt in communities and on highstreets across the country if nothing is done to protect businesses from high costs and poor practice by suppliers.
In a joint statement a representative for the organisations said:
“Business owners across the country are feeling powerless at the hands of energy suppliers. They have seen energy bills rise exponentially in the past year and despite heading into warmer months this pain is set to continue. Some businesses had little or no choice but to lock into extremely costly contracts at the height of the energy crisis and will and many will be paying over the odds for the next 12 months and beyond.
“These local businesses are well-loved assets, central pillars in their neighbourhoods, and if it weren’t for energy bills wiping out their profits would be running successfully thanks to the ongoing custom and support of their communities.
“We are urging the Committee to use its powers to recognise this crisis as a real tangible threat to the existence of businesses across the country and convene an urgent inquiry into the conduct of suppliers.”
ENDS
For more information or to arrange an interview contact Jessie Powell at jpowell@beerandpub.com / 020 7627 9199
Notes to editors:
About the British Beer & Pub Association
The BBPA represents UK companies which between them brew over 90% of the beer sold in the UK and own 20,000 pubs.
Our members include international companies, national and local brewers and pub businesses operating managed and tenanted pubs in cities, towns and villages across the country.
These businesses are at the heart of communities and local economies and include family businesses who have been brewing beer and running pubs for hundreds of years alongside emerging brewers and pub operators.
- The UK’s beer and pub industry supports close to 940,000 jobs
- The industry adds £26.2billion to the UK’s economy each year
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS)
The Association of Convenience Stores lobbies on behalf of over 46,000 local shops across the UK on policy issues that affect their businesses. ACS’ membership includes a diverse group of retailers, from small independent family businesses running a single store to large multiple convenience businesses running thousands of stores.
National Hair & Beauty Federation (NHBF)
Established in 1942, the National Hair & Beauty Federation (NHBF) has 5,300 Members and is the UK’s largest trade body for the hair, beauty and barbering industries. The NHBF focuses on helping Members to run successful and profitable hair and beauty businesses by providing advice, specialist support and tailored services to meet the unique challenges of running a salon or barbershop.The hair, beauty and barbering industries contribute £4.6 billion to the UK economy every year and employ 257,000 workers across the UK, more than half of whom are under 35.For media enquiries about the National Hair and Beauty Federation, please contact: SLBPR: Laura Craik | laura@slbpr.co.uk | 07817 765 888
For more information or to arrange an interview contact Jessie Powell at jpowell@beerandpub.com / 020 7627 9199