2 minute read
Energy Costs
by 55 North
Chancellor urged not to ignore struggling businesses
NRFN will be writing to Rishi Sunak to ask him to give independent retailers help and support as their bills rocket.
The NFRN is calling on the government to extent its £350 package to help households cope with a rise in energy bills to small businesses.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the package after Ofgem revealed that the new energy bill price cap will rise by 54% from April. This means energy prices will rise by £693 a year for millions of households after regulator Ofgem hiked the price cap on bills to £1,971 for an average property.
NFRN National President Narinder Randhawa said: “Independent retailers kept Britain going during the lockdown, but now it is essential that the government helps us.”
Randhawa said NFRN members face a string of cost hikes in April, including minimum wage and national insurance rises, the reintroduction of business rates, and “rocketing” energy bills.
“To satisfy customer demand and to keep everyone safe, our members’ stores contain chillers, freezers, EPoS, bright lighting and CCTV. As each year passes, it becomes increasingly difficult to cut these costs,” he said.
He also pointed out stores in towns and city centres saw footfall drop during lockdown and that this is yet to fully recover.
Randhawa added: “We will be writing to Rishi Sunak to ask him not to turn his back on independent retailers and to give us help and support as our bills rocket.”
