When the Sun Won’t Pay Your Bills: The Energy Bill Relief Scheme Is Ending
Why All the Sunshine-Facing Biz Owners Are Feeling the Heat
Imagine running a shop, a salon, a cinema or a gym and suddenly finding out that the government has decided to season your energy bill with a hefty pinch of inflation. That’s exactly what thousands of customer‑facing businesses are bracing for. If the Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) doesn’t get a second lease on life, price hikes are inevitable—meaning tighter wallets for the folks who walk through your doors.
Uswitch for Business Fires Up the Heat‑A‑Chiver
Before Parliament crackles with the new scheme’s details on Tuesday, the comparison giant Uswitch for Business set out a study to keep firms from getting tricked by confusing contracts. Don’t sign without knowing what you’re getting; otherwise, you could be swallowed by a cost‑swoop of as much as 50%!
What the EBRS Is, If That’s not Self‑Explanatory
The scheme was a government bargain that sliced gas and electric bills for a half‑year from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023. It’s been extended one year longer—now running till March 2024. The good news is you don’t need to apply; just double‑check that your supplier hasn’t bungled the discount.
Wording matters—the discount level varies by contract, tariff, and the date it was signed. That means one business could be getting a smoother deal than another, long before the political spoiler drops the decree.
What the Chancellor Says About the Future
He’s at it: future relief will be a bit slimmer and cheaper, offering a gentle “high‑price staircase” rather than a nasty cliff. The new scheme will cost the coffers £5 bn, a neat slice from the milder £18 bn it used to pull in.
What the Numbers Say (and Why They’re Pretty Scary)
- ¹⁰ of your average customer‑facing business (about 20%) are so stretched they might shut down part of their operation, cut jobs, or reorganise.
- Comedy of woops: over 13% of those businesses are stuck with zero choice but to trim staff.
- “Freeze” looks like 71% of decision makers are not hiring because energy costs are snow‑balling.
- And 12% fear their suppliers might not get paid without a safety net.
Knowledge Is Power – But How Much Do They Really Know?
While a whopping 81% have heard of the EBRS, only 38% actually know it’s ending in March 2023, and less than half (44%) grip how the scheme shapes their bill. Yet 55% of business leaders still say that the highest concern is gas and electricity costs.
Word From the Wisest Energy Whisperer
Jack Arthur, a self‑proclaimed “business energy oracle” from Uswitch, says: “The reduced support will likely knock the socks off millions of tight‑budget enterprises.” He warns that the new, smaller benefits are especially problematic for smaller shops, beauty salons, and gyms that book themselves on cheap, public‑support‑heavy plans. The key? Make sure you know the fine print of every contract and double‑check expiry dates. Ignoring a renewal can researchily turn into an eye‑watering – and sometimes giving your business a lottery-style surprise on the bill.
So, next time you’re about to sign a new energy plan, do your squint‑and‑check homework, because the louder the price of electricity on your own rooftop, the louder it will be on your weekend budget.
