Today’s announcement on the 6 month equivalent match to the domestic energy price guarantee, capping energy costs for small businesses is a welcome acknowledgement of the crippling effect of energy bills on our pubs in every community. However, it is only one element of an overall package of support that will be needed to safeguard these essential local businesses. The British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) remains gravely concerned for the future survival of its members’ pub businesses.
Steve Alton, CEO of the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) commented:
“We have left Government in no doubt about the crushing impact of energy costs on our members’ pub businesses and we are pleased that this has been specifically recognised in today’s announcement. Beyond the impact of energy, pubs across the nation have seen their long hoped for recovery stopped in its tracks by chronic staff shortages, repaying pandemic specific debts, a crippling rise in the cost of doing business through inflationary rises and a squeeze on consumer spending, with many pubs already loss making.
“Escalating energy costs have rendered long-standing essential local businesses simply unviable. We await the detail on how this price guarantee will be applied for our nations’ pubs and the impact that this will have on their survival. Today’s announcement looks to tackle the specific energy issue and we look forward to again working closely with Government to urgently deliver the wider package of investment that will be needed to allow our members to trade through these exceptional challenges and be at the heart of growth in our economy.”