BUSINESS leaders in Coventry and Warwickshire say firms will breathe a sigh of relief following the government’s announcement the freezing of energy bills would extend to companies.
But Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce head of policy Sean Rose warned the decision to freeze bills for six months will mean the pressure will only be eased for a short period.
He said businesses he’d spoken to in recent weeks were being quoted ‘astronomical figures’ for their energy bills from October and they were struggling to find a way to continue.
He added the government should ‘look at this again’ over the next three months to ensure they aren’t in the same situation in six months.
“We understand that this is not solely a domestic issue and that global events are having an impact but, for businesses to be able to plan and invest, they need a degree of certainty and will want to see a wider plan from Government on how it plans to revitalise the whole economy.”
Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) added it was clear new Prime Minister Liz Truss has listened to firms.
“If we are to truly revitalise our economy for the difficult months ahead then there must be a clear long-term plan that gives firms the confidence to grow.”
