Businesses in the Harrogate district will breathe “a temporary sigh of relief” after the government announced a cap on energy bills, a local business group has said.
David Simister, chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, said the intervention by ministers to tackle the sky high cost of gas and electricity was welcome.
The scheme will see the government fix wholesale gas and electricity prices for businesses for six months from October 1.
It means bills are expected to be cut for firms by half their predicted level this winter.
Mr Simister said he hoped the move would prevent businesses from closing down.
He said:
“Today’s announcement by the government is extremely welcome, and there will be many businesses breathing a temporary sigh of relief.
“Over the last few weeks we have seen businesses pull the shutters down because of rising energy costs, and I hope today’s intervention will prevent many more from doing likewise.
“At the end of the week, the Chancellor will be unveiling a mini budget which I am hopeful will further take into account the needs of businesses.
“However, one thing we do have to bear in mind is that this money is being borrowed and therefore will have to be paid back at a later date.”
Rising energy bills has already forced some businesses in the district to close.
They included Ainsty Farm Shop, which closed last weekend after its owners were told their annual energy bill was set to jump from £20,000 to £90,000 a year.
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Meanwhile, ministers announced that the cut in energy bills would also apply to hospitals, charities and schools.
A spokesperson for Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust said:
“As with every other area of society, hospitals are not immune to rising energy costs, and as part of our annual budget planning we do our utmost to take into consideration any potential rises.
“Additional support provided by government during the current energy crisis will help alleviate some pressures that we face so that we can continue to provide the best possible health care for our community.
“We cannot simply rely on cost capping energy bills and our trust is committed to reducing costs, becoming more energy efficient and lessening our environmental impact by becoming a greener, more environmentally friendly organisation.
“A number of major projects have been undertaken as part of our £14 million Salix investment. This work includes insulating our roofing and replacing glazing across the Harrogate District Hospital site to help reduce our energy consumption.”
Kwasi Kwarteng, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said:
Knaresborough swings into action with new plan“We have stepped in to stop businesses collapsing, protect jobs, and limit inflation.
“And with our plans to boost home-grown energy supply, we will bring security to the sector, growth to the economy and secure a better deal for consumers.”
Knaresborough Unlocked is the action plan, set up by Knaresborough Chamber of Trade, to help the town reopen following lockdown.
After months of planning by chamber members, the Knaresborough Unlocked initiative was formed. Its main aim is to support local businesses as they make preparations to reopen.
The plan has a number of action points including engaging with voluntary organisations such as Knaresborough delivers to arrange a coordinated response from several of the town’s businesses.
The scheme has also allowed the chamber to keep businesses informed on funding opportunities, including discretionary grants, to ensure they receive all the necessary support. The main message that has been promoted throughout planning has been ‘shop local stay safe’.
A further focus of the action plan was to offer expert health and safety advice for smaller businesses who may not have formal training. The chamber partnered with local health and safety experts Cenheard to create a coronavirus safe pack which offers free health and safety training, guidance and posters for all local business owners.
These measures have been rolled out throughout the town to encourage its visitors and workers to social distance. Bill Taylor added:
“There’s still work to do and people’s behaviour towards the 2 metre distance is changing. There are so many questions about the distance and even though it might change its so important to keep it in the front of people’s mind. We’ve encouraged our shop owners to take part in the formal health and safety training to make sure the return is as safe as it can be.”
The Knaresborough Unlocked scheme aims to keep business owners and visitors safe.
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To promote their ‘shop local’ message further, the chamber has offered their support to a ‘Shopappy’ initiative set up by York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership, which will be live in the coming weeks. This scheme gives the town a portal in which local businesses can sell their products or services online.
Bill Taylor, Secretary and Treasurer of Knaresborough Chamber of Trade told The Stray Ferret:
“Shopappy allows customers to buy direct from them or arrange to click and collect from the store. The local enterprise partnership supports towns such as Knaresborough and offers the portal for free for a year. It is great because those businesses without an online platform are given the chance to get orders online.”
COLUMN: Boroughbridge is raring to open up again
This column is written for The Stray Ferret by the President of Boroughbridge & District Chamber of Trade, Derek Hufton
Walking through Boroughbridge town centre in recent weeks has been a sobering and surreal experience. With the majority of businesses closed the normal hustle and bustle has gone. There are fewer familiar faces to acknowledge and pass the time of day with, and the usual banter between passers-by that normally gives the town its buzz in such a close-knit community is largely absent. Yet despite that, the people who do venture out for exercise or to visit the few essential shops that are still trading, invariably do so with a smile on their face. The renowned local community spirit is still very evident.
My own excursions around the town have been limited, but I do detect that that residents are preferring to shop local whenever possible because they feel safer than mingling with the crowds at supermarkets. I hope that will change some shopping habits beyond the crisis to the benefit of local businesses. While walking through the town on VE Day I was stopped in my tracks as a mother duck came waddling down the high street with 8 ducklings busily trying to keep up – not a sight you see in many town centres!
Last February I took over the Presidency of the local Chamber of Trade, so I naturally have a very keen interest in how the business community is faring at all times, but particularly now. Little did I know at the time what local businesses would be faced with just a few weeks into my tenure. They say timing is everything!
As a Chamber it’s important to ensure everyone is taking advantage of the help that is available from government through the crisis, but also to act as a conduit for sharing experiences and expertise – we are a business community. One thing I really miss now is not being able to have those informal face to face conversations of how things are going, and certainly there are no opportunities to ‘press the flesh.’
The businesses do not stand alone; they are part of a vibrant community in Boroughbridge. It has been really humbling to see the support and encouragement for local businesses coming from within the community. There is clearly a pent-up demand from loyal customers wishing to see their local valued businesses back open and trading again. It has been hugely gratifying to witness, and believe me, the businesses can’t wait.
For information on the Boroughbridge & District Chamber of Trade click here.