The federal government will miss its deadline for outlining the following section of energy-costs help for companies, Jeremy Hunt has admitted.
In his Autumn Assertion final month, the chancellor stated that the Treasury-led overview of the Vitality Invoice Aid Scheme (EBRS) can be printed by 31 December.
The overview is contemplating the extent of help that non-domestic vitality prospects ought to obtain past 31 March 2023, when the EBRS is because of expire.
The EBRS, which was introduced in September, gives six months of energy-costs help for non-domestic prospects in keeping with the parallel package deal that limits common family payments to £2,500 each year.
Nevertheless, within the Home of Commons yesterday, Hunt stated that “early within the New 12 months” the federal government would deliver ahead “an acceptable package deal on what is going to occur from subsequent April”.
Later, throughout Treasury query time, Hunt repeated that “early within the New 12 months we are going to announce how that help will proceed after April.”
In response to the Autumn Assertion, the size of help the federal government would supply by way of the EBRS post-March can be “considerably decrease” and focused on the “most affected” companies.
The Monetary Instances and Sunday Times reported final weekend that Hunt was as a consequence of announce a package deal this week that may give low-level common help for energy and heating payments to all corporations when the EBRS ends.
It was additionally reported that additional focused help can be offered to energy-intensive companies, equivalent to steelmakers, in addition to different susceptible sectors like hospitality.
A place paper, printed final week by the Vitality Intensive Customers Group of heavy energy customers equivalent to metal and cement makers, says a lot UK manufacturing could not be commercially viable until the federal government extends its payments aid for companies when the EBRS ends.