The Federation of Independent Retailers supports the joint letter from the ACS, FSB, BIRA and BBPA.
The group of trade bodies represents a diverse range of businesses, wrote to the business secretary in response to the government’s Energy Bill Discount Scheme (EBDS). Whilst welcoming that the government is providing some ongoing support for businesses to help manage energy costs after March 2023, the letter states the group does not believe the current EBDS offers enough support or is targeted appropriately. Following this, they therefore want to see the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and Ofgem encourage energy suppliers to help the most vulnerable business customers renegotiate or ‘blend and extend’ their energy contracts to better reflect lower wholesale energy prices.
Responding to the letter, the Fed’s President Jason Birks stated “it is essential that we work together to ensure that the voices of independent retailers are heard. It is important that the Business Secretary considers targeted support for businesses who are most vulnerable. Independent retailers who own small and micro businesses are suffering from rising energy bills and the Energy Bill Discount Scheme simply does not provide the support businesses need amidst this crisis. We look forward to a response from the Business Secretary”.
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