UK Manufacturers Urge Government to Act on Energy Crisis
The UK's manufacturing industry is facing an energy crisis of unprecedented proportions, with industrial energy prices ranking among the highest in the developed world. As the government prepares to announce its long-awaited British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS), industry leaders are growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of urgency.
Industry associations like Make UK, which represents manufacturers across the country, have been calling for the government to expand its energy support scheme from 7,000 businesses to 115,000 companies. They also want backdated savings on electricity bills, a provision that was initially scheduled for April 2027 but has now become increasingly unlikely.
However, Make UK's boss, Stephen Phipson, argues that every day counts in tackling the energy crisis. "The clock is ticking on tackling our eye-watering energy costs and it is now a case of political will rather than any technical constraints to addressing these," he says.
Industry insiders point to the steep increase in energy costs facing heavy users, with some firms set to face annual increases of £500,000 due to rising transmission charges. While about 500 firms in high-energy industries are protected under a separate "supercharger" scheme, many more will be left exposed.
Make UK's request for fast-tracking the BICS scheme is reasonable, considering that waiting until 2027 is too late. With the energy crisis already biting hard, industry leaders cannot afford to wait any longer for support. As the government prepares to consult on how the scheme will be implemented, it must act quickly to alleviate the pressure on businesses.
It's time for the government to demonstrate its commitment to addressing this pressing issue and provide meaningful relief to manufacturers struggling with skyrocketing energy costs. Anything less would be a dereliction of duty, and would ultimately undermine the UK's competitiveness in the global market.
The UK's manufacturing industry is facing an energy crisis of unprecedented proportions, with industrial energy prices ranking among the highest in the developed world. As the government prepares to announce its long-awaited British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS), industry leaders are growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of urgency.
Industry associations like Make UK, which represents manufacturers across the country, have been calling for the government to expand its energy support scheme from 7,000 businesses to 115,000 companies. They also want backdated savings on electricity bills, a provision that was initially scheduled for April 2027 but has now become increasingly unlikely.
However, Make UK's boss, Stephen Phipson, argues that every day counts in tackling the energy crisis. "The clock is ticking on tackling our eye-watering energy costs and it is now a case of political will rather than any technical constraints to addressing these," he says.
Industry insiders point to the steep increase in energy costs facing heavy users, with some firms set to face annual increases of £500,000 due to rising transmission charges. While about 500 firms in high-energy industries are protected under a separate "supercharger" scheme, many more will be left exposed.
Make UK's request for fast-tracking the BICS scheme is reasonable, considering that waiting until 2027 is too late. With the energy crisis already biting hard, industry leaders cannot afford to wait any longer for support. As the government prepares to consult on how the scheme will be implemented, it must act quickly to alleviate the pressure on businesses.
It's time for the government to demonstrate its commitment to addressing this pressing issue and provide meaningful relief to manufacturers struggling with skyrocketing energy costs. Anything less would be a dereliction of duty, and would ultimately undermine the UK's competitiveness in the global market.
we all know how important manufacturing is to the uk economy but it seems like the gov is just talking the talk at this point 
and not doing enough action 
500k a year is just too much for any business to handle, its like they're being asked to pick up the tab for the entire country 
if make uk's request gets ignored then im pretty sure we'll see some major companies leaving the uk in search of cheaper energy elsewhere 
The clock is literally ticking on the energy crisis in the UK 
! I'm so with Make UK on this one - every day that passes without action feels like an eternity for manufacturers who are already struggling to stay afloat 
. It's not just about the numbers, it's about the livelihoods of thousands of workers who depend on these businesses to put food on the table 
. I mean, would you rather be a character from the movie "Office Space" (1999) and have to fight for your rights against a soulless corporation or be a proud owner of a small business in the UK? 
Not me! The government needs to step up and provide some real support ASAP 
. No more dilly-dallying, let's get this energy crisis under control before it's too late 
!
- it's not just a matter of money, but also for the future of British industries 
. The clock is ticking indeed 
! We have to push the government to get this done, or else... 
I'm tellin' ya, there's somethin' fishy goin' on here... Like, why is the gov't takin' so long to act on this energy crisis? It's like they're just waitin' for all these manufacturers to, like, fail or somethin'. 
I mean, I get it, there are costs involved and all, but come on! This is a global market we're talkin' about. We need to be competitive, not stuck in the slow lane because of bureaucracy 
! Manufacturers are at their wit's end, payin' through the nose for electricity bills and it's startin' to affect their bottom line big time 
. I mean, £500k a year? That's like, a whole lotta dosh 
! And it's not just the cost, it's the uncertainty too... what's gonna happen next?! 
I mean, they're all like "the clock is ticking" but what's the plan? Just gonna throw some money at them and expect everything to be alright? 
.
i mean £500k increase in energy costs is like WTH did they do to deserve that?? 
its not like they r asking for much just some support and relief from these crazy energy costs 
. We can't afford to wait any longer, we need real help now 
I mean, it's not like they're trying to make things worse, but come on, 7,000 businesses vs 115,000? That's just a slap in the face for all the smaller manufacturers out there who are already struggling. And don't even get me started on those transmission charges - £500,000 is just insane! 
. Like, can't we just take a break from all that tech for once? Just imagine if our energy crisis was solved by something as simple as a national 'digital detox' day 
.
He's so right, every day counts in tackling this crisis! We can't keep waiting around for the government to get their act together. It's time for them to step up and show us they care about our industries 