Builders Merchants Journal – BMJ Publishing to Builders Merchants and the UK merchanting industry for more than 95 years
The BMF has welcomed today’s announcement from Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg MP on support for energy bills, which it says will help tackle a real concern for the industry.
John Newcomb, CEO of the BMF, said: “Rising energy bills are a very real concern for our industry. The BMF and other business groups asked the new Government for clear, decisive action to help businesses, large and small, faced with steadily rising energy bills, and that’s what’s happened.
“We are pleased that Ministers have listened and acted quickly and massively to help BMF members – especially manufacturers who are large users of energy – to make much-needed building materials and home improvement products. We are encouraged at the speed, scale and geographic spread of todays’ package. However, there are associated policies in the medium- to long-term that Whitehall needs to press on with in tandem to help with energy demand and energy security.
“There is an urgent need to address home energy-efficiency in the UK, where a high proportion of homes are rated EPC Band C or below.
“One of our key asks of Government is to commit to a comprehensive, properly-funded national plan of investment in training to boost the number of competent, qualified people equipped to upgrade the energy efficiency of homes and to install low- or zero-carbon solutions.”
A ‘newsflash’ analysis of the Government Energy Bill Relief Scheme has been issued by the BMF to its members, to help them start to plan for the coming months.
The new Government Energy Bill Relief Scheme will see the UK Government provide a discount on wholesale gas and electricity prices for all businesses, charities and public services whose current prices have been significantly inflated in the wake of global energy price rises.
The offer will apply to energy use between October 1 2022 and March 31 2023, and the savings will first be seen in October bills which are usually received in November. Equivalent support will be given to those that use heating oil or alternatives to gas and further details on this are expected to be announced shortly.
Ministers will review the scheme in three months to inform decisions on future support after March 2023.The support is on a par with that offered to UK households, but cannot be introduced until Parliament returns from recess, whereupon it will be put forward as emergency legislation.
