Small firms facing ‘financial doom’ as Energy Bill Relief Scheme set to end

The end of the scheme may cause a significant increase in energy bills for businesses who fixed their prices last year, new research shows

SMEs should be given £5,000 ‘green’ vouchers, says industry

The grants could be used by businesses to invest in green improvements to their sites

Energy crisis could lead to a ‘generation of lost businesses’

Nearly 14% of UK small firms expect to close their business in the coming 12 months, according to a new report

Taking control of utilities helps manufacturers roll with the punches

A different approach to energy and water consumption could help manufacturers block and evade the combination of punches coming at them this year from forces they can’t control. UK manufacturers have taken many body blows in the past, but the pressures today are intense. At home, the challenges include skills shortages and political uncertainty over […]

Climate-related disclosure ‘fragmented and incomplete’

Some businesses still don’t project the impact climate change can have to the organisations in their financial reports. That’s according to the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, which believe climate-related financial disclosures remain “fragmented and incomplete”. Established by the Financial Stability Board (FSB) in December last year, it aims to promote more effective climate-related financial disclosures that […]

Energy efficiency ‘can reduce business bills by 18-25%’

Energy efficiency can reduce bills by 18-25% with an average payback of less than 1.5 years. That’s according to a report by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). It also states 31% of FSB members said energy costs were a barrier to growth and 90% of them want to be energy efficient but only a fifth […]

‘90% of small firms want to be energy efficient’

New research by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has found most small firms support energy efficiency. It shows nine in 10 small businesses want to be more energy efficient. The research found 78% of the 1,077 firms questioned listed savings on energy costs as a motivator for carrying out energy efficiency measures. But it also uncovered a […]

Small businesses want transparency from Tories

Small business owners expect the Tory government to make sure the energy sector treats them fairly. Allen Creedy, Energy spokesperson at the Federation of Small Businesses said it’s already hard for small businesses to get a fair deal and “the Competitions & Markets Authority (CMA) has evidence to support this”. But the FSB is encouraged […]

Suppliers don’t care about us say small firms in poll

Four fifths (81%) of small firms think energy suppliers don’t care about their needs, according to a new poll by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). The results suggest businesses are sceptical of energy providers’ fairness in energy contracts. The survey of more than 1,400 FSB members comes after Big Six suppliers pledged to essentially […]

Should auto-rollover energy contracts be banned?

With businesses being locked into energy contracts as a result of automatic rollovers, usually having to face higher bills, should Ofgem ban them altogther? ELN Reporter Priyanka Shrestha looks at how small firms have been affected and what the energy regulator and suppliers should be doing to help.