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Energy: Small Businesses

Asked by Luke TaylorLiberal DemocratDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled Answered 16 December 2024UIN 19493

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to help small and medium high street businesses manage energy costs in Sutton and Cheam constituency.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh

Wholesale energy costs have decreased for non-domestic consumers since the global energy crisis, but we recognise that some businesses may be struggling to pay their bills.

The Government believes that the only way to protect billpayers permanently, including small and medium sized enterprises, is to speed up the transition away from fossil fuels and towards homegrown clean energy. The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy and have less reliance on volatile international energy markets and help in our commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030.

For non-domestic consumers who agreed to contracts at very expensive rates at the peak of price spikes, they can contact their supplier to enquire about ‘blend and extend’ contracts. These contracts blend the original, higher, unit rate with a new lower rate, spreading the cost over the course of an extended contract lifetime.

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