UKH makes guidance on energy pricing public

28-Oct-2022 - Last updated on 28-Oct-2022 at 14:24 GMT

Unprecedented step: UKHospitality CEO Kate Nicholls has announced the trade body’s energy advice is free to all businesses

UKHospitality (UKH) has taken the unprecedented step of making its energy guidance available to all hospitality businesses as soaring energy prices threaten sites this winter.

The trade body has stated the guidance, which was previously available only to its members, covers the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, which UKHospitality said it was instrumental in delivering through its engagement with the Government and demonstration of how hard hospitality would be hit by rising energy prices.

Also available to access is a Q&A to help businesses through the process and an energy calculator to help businesses budget for future energy costs.

UKH chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “As we head into winter, many businesses will be extremely concerned about what is in store with energy prices eye-wateringly high.”

Feeling the pinch

She continued: “We know our sector is feeling the pinch more than most and that is why we’ve taken the decision to make our expert guidance available to all.

“The Government’s Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) is in place to reduce the unit price businesses pay for their energy but navigating these schemes can be a challenging process, so we want to offer as much help as possible.

“This is a perilous situation for the sector and UKHospitality will continue to ensure the Government is fully aware of the existential threat that inflation and energy bills combine to create.”

When the EBRS was first mooted in the middle of October, Nicholls was one of the first hospitality representatives to give their opinion of the move.

Extremely welcome

She said at the time: “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.”

Meanwhile, the Night-Time Industries Association chief executive Michael Kill believed the proposal was too little, too late.

He said: “While we appreciate the Government listening to our concerns and feedback, it is too little too late for many. Current debt and rising costs are still placing an immense amount of pressure on night-time economy businesses.

“We need the Chancellor to cut VAT across the board and extend business rates relief, to give us the financial headroom to survive.”