It's ridiculous. Every quarter I'm bracing myself for the new energy bill and it feels like a gamble with my businesses. We've absorbed so much cost over the last few years, from ingredients to wages, and the energy price hikes have been a massive punch to the gut. It’s not just the amount, it’s the volatility. I can’t budget properly when prices can swing so wildly, and that makes planning for expansion or even just hiring new staff a nightmare.
What we need is a proper system to shield small businesses from these extreme price shocks. Not a handout, but a predictable pricing mechanism. Maybe a capped rate for businesses under a certain size, tied to wholesale prices but with a sensible maximum. We’re the ones employing people locally and keeping our high streets alive, but we’re treated like we can just absorb endless increases.
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I've seen our hospital's energy bill go up by tens of thousands of pounds in the last year alone, and it's having a direct impact on patient care - we've had to cut back on things like physiotherapy sessions and outpatient clinics just to make ends meet. It's not just about capping rates for small businesses, it's about sorting out the whole bloody system so vital services like the NHS can keep running without breaking the bank.