The energy bill relief scheme, created to help businesses faced with increasing energy prices, had initially applied to fixed contracts agreed on or after 1 April 2022, but this has now been extended by a further for months.
Responding to the scheme, UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls says: “The Government’s intervention to support hospitality businesses facing soaring energy costs this winter is extremely welcome and it’s fantastic to see this legislation introduced. The measures in this Bill will provide relief to all manner of hospitality businesses, from the smallest companies to the largest.
“The introduction of these measures follows months of campaigning by UKHospitality to ensure the government recognised the huge impact rising energy costs will have on our sector.”
Nicholls says that the extension to the scheme on fixed price contracts agreed from 1 December 2021 has avoided unfairly penalising businesses that had acted early to protect themselves from further price hikes.
“I’m pleased that the government has continued to listen to the sector to ensure its relief package is inclusive for all.”
She continues to call for further Government support. “Unfortunately, the reality of this crisis means that, even with this support, energy bills will still be much higher than last year and many hospitality businesses will struggle to make it through to next spring. What the sector really needs now is the introduction of longer-term measures that can allow us to boost economic growth, namely a lower rate of VAT and further business rates relief.”