On Wednesday 21 September, the U.K government’s Business Secretary, Jacob Rees-Mogg, unveiled plans to help businesses negotiate their way through the energy crisis.

The Hospitality Sector, one of the industries most under threat from rising energy prices, has welcomed the government’s new Energy Bill Relief Scheme.

Through the scheme, the government will provide a discount on wholesale gas and electricity prices for all non-domestic customers (including all UK businesses, the voluntary sector like charities and the public sector such as schools and hospitals) whose current gas and electricity prices have been significantly inflated in light of global energy prices. This support will be equivalent to the Energy Price Guarantee put in place for households.

It will apply to fixed contracts agreed on or after 1 April 2022 and to deemed, variable and flexible tariffs and contracts. It will apply to energy usage from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023, running for an initial 6-month period for all non-domestic energy users. The savings will be first seen in October bills, which are typically received in November.

As with the Energy Price Guarantee for households, customers do not need to take action or apply to the scheme to access the support. Support (in the form of a p/kWh discount) will automatically be applied to bills.

To administer support, the government has set a Supported Wholesale Price – expected to be £211 per MWh for electricity and £75 per MWh for gas, less than half the wholesale prices anticipated this winter – which is a discounted price per unit of gas and electricity. This is equivalent to the wholesale element of the Energy Price Guarantee for households. It includes the removal of green levies paid by non-domestic customers who receive support under the scheme.

Without such intervention, there was real concern that many pubs, restaurants and hotels would be forced into liquidation as energy bills were anticipated to rise by as much as 500% from October.

Kate Nicholls, CEO of UKHospitality said: “This intervention is unprecedented and it is extremely welcome that the government has listened to hospitality businesses facing an uncertain winter. We particularly welcome its inclusiveness – from the smallest companies to the largest – all of which combine to provide a huge number of jobs, which are now much more secure.

“The government has recognised the vulnerability of hospitality as a sector, and we will continue to work with the government, to ensure that there is no cliff edge when these measures fall away.”

The level of price reduction for each business will vary depending on their contract type and circumstances, set out below:

• Non-domestic customers on existing fixed-price contracts will be eligible for support as long as the contract was agreed on or after 1 April 2022. Provided that the wholesale element of the price the customer is paying is above the Government Supported Price, their per unit energy costs will automatically be reduced by the relevant p/kWh for the duration of the Scheme. Customers entering new fixed price contracts after 1 October will receive support on the same basis
• Those on default, deemed or variable tariffs will receive a per-unit discount on energy costs, up to a maximum of the difference between the Supported Price and the average expected wholesale price over the period of the Scheme. The amount of this Maximum Discount is likely to be around £405/MWh for electricity and £115/MWh for gas, subject to wholesale market developments. Non-domestic customers on default or variable tariffs will therefore pay reduced bills, but these will still change over time and may still be subject to price increases. This is why the government is working with suppliers to ensure all their customers in England, Scotland and Wales are given the opportunity to switch to a fixed contract/tariff for the duration of the scheme if they wish, underpinned by the government’s Energy Bill Relief Scheme support
• For businesses on flexible purchase contracts, typically some of the largest energy-using businesses, the level of reduction offered will be calculated by suppliers according to the specifics of that company’s contract and will also be subject to the Maximum Discount

A parallel scheme, based on the same criteria and offering comparable support, but recognising the different market fundamentals, will be established in Northern Ireland.

If you are not connected to either the gas or electricity grid, equivalent support will also be provided for non-domestic consumers who use heating oil or alternative fuels instead of gas. Further detail on this will be announced shortly.

The government will publish a review into the operation of the scheme in three months to inform decisions on future support after March 2023. The review will focus in particular on identifying the most vulnerable non-domestic customers and how the government will continue assisting them with energy costs.

If you need clarification on what these changes mean for you, Energy Management energy consultants and your dedicated Energy Management Account Manager will only be too happy to help.

Prime Minister Liz Truss said: “I understand the huge pressure businesses, charities and public sector organisations are facing with their energy bills, which is why we are taking immediate action to support them over the winter and protect jobs and livelihoods.

“As we are doing for consumers, our new scheme will keep their energy bills down from October, providing certainty and peace of mind.

“At the same time, we are boosting Britain’s homegrown energy supply so we fix the root cause of the issues we are facing and ensure greater energy security for us all.”

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As businesses have not benefitted from an energy price cap and are not always able to fix their business energy price through fixed energy deals, many – particularly those in the under-pressure hospitality sector – are reporting projected increases in what they pay for their gas and electricity of around 500% if not more.

On becoming the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister, Liz Truss announced a new six-month scheme for businesses and other non-domestic users (e.g charities and public sector organisations) that will offer equivalent support as being provided for domestic consumers in a bid to protect them from soaring energy costs.

After the initial six-month scheme, the Government says it will provide ongoing, focused support for vulnerable industries, with a review in three months’ time to consider where this support would be best targeted.

The Government has promised to provide energy suppliers with the difference between this new lower price, and what they would charge business energy customers if this were not in place. Schemes previously funded by green levies will also continue to be funded by the Government during this two-year period.

Businesses are waiting for further details with bated breath and, sadly for some, any assistance may come too late.

“The Government says they are going to do for business customers what they do for domestic users but PWC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) are currently with the Treasury to see how they can do that because it is a different marketplace,” said an Energy Management spokesman.

For immediate assistance with business energy procurement please call us on 01225 867722  and speak to one of our energy consultants.