Energy bill price cut for Stirling businesses ‘does not go far enough’, says MP

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Energy bills for Stirling businesses are to be slashed from their expected levels this winter as struggling traders fight to keep the doors open amidst the cost of living crisis.In a raft measures unveiled by the UK government this week, businesses will be granted a discount on wholesale gas and electricity prices whose current bills have been significantly inflated due to the price hike.Through the new Energy Bill Relief Scheme, businesses will be offered the reduction, similar to the move made last month to protect households from the sharp increase.It will apply to fixed contracts agreed on or after April 1, 2022, as well as to deemed, variable and flexible tariffs and contracts.It will apply to energy usage from October 1 until March 31 next year – running for initially for six months for all non-domestic energy users.The savings will be first seen in October bills, which are typically received in November.The Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA) welcomed the move but warned that it “goes no way far enough and more needs to be done to help the struggling hospitality sector through the winter months”.Click here for more news and sport from the Stirling area.SLTA managing director, Colin Wilkinson said: “This is news that we have been waiting for and obviously we welcome it but when you look beyond the headlines it doesn’t live up to the hype as this new scheme caps the wholesale price and pubs and bars could still be paying 200 to 300 per cent higher bills than normal.“There are pubs and bars currently on a rate of 90p per kWh, in comparison to 15p in normal times.

The Government says that the current wholesale price of gas is about 42p per unit therefore businesses should see a reduction of 21p in their unit