Rescue loans considered for manufacturers within bonus curb conditions October 12, 2021 Ministers are considering offering manufacturers rescue loans to help them weather rising energy prices, if they restrict bonuses. Steel, chemical and ceramics manufacturers will be asked to limit bosses’ bonuses and dividends under plans, The Telegraph reported. Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng is understood to have submitted such a proposal to the Treasury within options to [...]
More energy supplier collapses anticipated October 12, 2021 Energy regulator Ofgem is readying itself for a new wave of supplier collapses. At least four suppliers were reported to be in talks with Ofgem on Tuesday, according to Sky News. The companies were understood to be discussing joining the Supplier of Last Resort (SOLR) system. Some companies could make public a decision to cease [...]
Cabinet office minister warns businesses giving bonuses and dividends to not expect government support October 12, 2021 Struggling companies facing high gas prices could be refused a government bailout this winter if they have paid out big dividends and bonuses. Cabinet office minister Steve Barclay told Times Radio that the Treasury would scrutinise whether any interventions represented “value for money”. He said: “It’s right from a taxpayer point of view, mindful of [...]
Carney backs government support for energy users during gas price crisis October 12, 2021 Mark Carney believes the UK government should support energy users hit by rapidly rising energy costs. With gas prices soaring to record levels, the former governor of the Bank of England appeared to lend his support to the Prime Minister’s upcoming bail-out plans for businesses. The government is set to provide state loans to struggling [...]
Energy bills for small businesses set to double this winter October 12, 2021 British businesses could see their energy costs rise by 125 percent this winter, as they are not included in Ofgem’s price cap which limits household bills. The average household in the UK benefits from an energy price cap that is currently set at £1,277 per year., although the price cap is expected to increase substantially [...]
Octopus CEO: We need strong competition to insulate us from future energy crises October 12, 2021 The UK energy industry is in turmoil. The sector is currently going through its most difficult time in decades, with a handful already going bust in the last few weeks. The lights will not go off this winter: we have well-oiled processes, put in place by the government and the energy regulator, to ensure customers [...]
Energy crisis: Treasury mulling over emergency cash request for industrial firms October 11, 2021 The Treasury is now considering a formal emergency funding request to help bailout industrial firms struggling with energy price rises in what appears to be an end to a cabinet row. The Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Beis) today submitted a formal funding request to Rishi Sunak’s department, after the Treasury yesterday said [...]
Energy crisis: Industry chiefs turn up heat on ministers to provide more support October 11, 2021 Heavy industry bosses have piled pressure on the government this morning to provide emergency cash to manufacturers struggling to cope with surging energy costs. Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng yesterday said he was in talks with Treasury to provide emergency funding to heavy industry firms, however the claim was quickly slapped down by anonymous sources at [...]
Consumer confidence slips to pre-Covid levels as shoppers see supplies squeezed October 10, 2021 Consumer confidence has dipped to its lowest level this year, as inflation, the energy crisis and HGV driver shortages take their toll on the outlook to Christmas, according to a new report by PwC. Following record highs earlier in the year, consumer confidence saw a decline in almost every age, region and demographic category, and [...]
Energy crisis: Kwasi Kwarteng rows with Treasury over heavy industry bailout talks October 10, 2021 Kwasi Kwarteng has been slapped down by the Treasury over emergency funding for struggling industrial firms, with the business and energy secretary accused of “making things up”. Kwarteng said he was speaking with the Treasury about a solution to help struggling manufacturers that are on the brink, however the Treasury has anonymously briefed to Sky [...]