UK Industry Demands Government Action on Energy Crisis
The UK's manufacturing sector is crying out for urgent help as the country grapples with an energy crisis that's already taking a devastating toll. Make UK, the industry body representing manufacturers, has called on the government to expand its energy support scheme – the so-called British industrial competitiveness scheme (BICS) – from 7,000 firms to a whopping 115,000 businesses.
The proposed expansion would significantly widen the scope of the scheme, which was unveiled in June as part of the government's shiny new industrial strategy. However, the government has been slow to act, and the promised savings in electricity bills are now being felt by companies hard hit by the crisis.
The energy crisis for industry is no secret – the UK has some of the most expensive industrial energy prices in the developed world. And with major closures already underway, including ExxonMobil's planned closure of an ethylene plant in Fife, the stakes are high. Make UK argues that backdating the BICS scheme to April this year would be a reasonable move, but it seems unlikely given the government's stance.
The problem is that broadening the scheme would cost more, and funding is supposed to come from "bearing down" on levies and costs in the energy system. However, Make UK believes that this approach won't help those struggling with high energy bills now – just future generations of businesses.
Industry insiders know what's coming next April: hefty increases in electricity bills due to higher transmission charges and the five-year, £80bn upgrade of the electricity grid. Heavy users could face annual increases of £500,000, reckons Make UK. In these circumstances, another of their requests feels entirely reasonable – fast-tracking the scheme to coincide with the first blast of network-related costs.
The government's initial promise to "power Britain" and cut electricity prices by up to £40 a megawatt hour for 7,000 firms has been met with skepticism. With the clock ticking on tackling the energy crisis, Make UK is urging the government to act – and not let technical constraints hold them back. It's time for bold action, not just empty rhetoric. The industry can't wait any longer for a fix – politicians should get a move on.
The UK's manufacturing sector is crying out for urgent help as the country grapples with an energy crisis that's already taking a devastating toll. Make UK, the industry body representing manufacturers, has called on the government to expand its energy support scheme – the so-called British industrial competitiveness scheme (BICS) – from 7,000 firms to a whopping 115,000 businesses.
The proposed expansion would significantly widen the scope of the scheme, which was unveiled in June as part of the government's shiny new industrial strategy. However, the government has been slow to act, and the promised savings in electricity bills are now being felt by companies hard hit by the crisis.
The energy crisis for industry is no secret – the UK has some of the most expensive industrial energy prices in the developed world. And with major closures already underway, including ExxonMobil's planned closure of an ethylene plant in Fife, the stakes are high. Make UK argues that backdating the BICS scheme to April this year would be a reasonable move, but it seems unlikely given the government's stance.
The problem is that broadening the scheme would cost more, and funding is supposed to come from "bearing down" on levies and costs in the energy system. However, Make UK believes that this approach won't help those struggling with high energy bills now – just future generations of businesses.
Industry insiders know what's coming next April: hefty increases in electricity bills due to higher transmission charges and the five-year, £80bn upgrade of the electricity grid. Heavy users could face annual increases of £500,000, reckons Make UK. In these circumstances, another of their requests feels entirely reasonable – fast-tracking the scheme to coincide with the first blast of network-related costs.
The government's initial promise to "power Britain" and cut electricity prices by up to £40 a megawatt hour for 7,000 firms has been met with skepticism. With the clock ticking on tackling the energy crisis, Make UK is urging the government to act – and not let technical constraints hold them back. It's time for bold action, not just empty rhetoric. The industry can't wait any longer for a fix – politicians should get a move on.
I think the gov has been pretty slow to respond to this energy crisis 
. I mean, 7k firms was already a good start, but now they're saying expand it to 115k businesses? That's a huge ask 
. Make UK is right, though - the promised savings in electricity bills are not being felt by these hard hit companies. It's like they're waiting for the clock to tick down before taking action 
. I'm all for bold action, not just empty promises 
. The gov needs to get a move on and help these businesses before it's too late 
.
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they're already behind schedule with the energy crisis & now it's getting worse... Make UK is right, expanding the BICS scheme from 7k to 115k businesses would be a huge help 
but it'll cost more, so where's the funding coming from? 
The gov't needs to get real about supporting these industries ASAP before more closures happen 
ExxonMobil's plant in Fife is just the beginning...
. making uk makes some solid points tho, broadening the bics scheme would be a big help for 115k businesses, not just the initial 7k. but at what cost? 
. the gov's been promising to "power britain" but all we're seeing is empty rhetoric 
. it's time for some real action and not just promises, politicians gotta step up their game 
I'm low-key surprised that Make UK is pushing for the scheme to be expanded so much ASAP. Like, the energy crisis is taking a huge toll, and it's crazy that some companies are already facing £500k+ annual increases in electricity bills 
. What do you guys think? Should the gov be putting more funding on the table to help these industries?
so like what's up with this energy crisis thingy? 
and it's not just about the money 
if they don't act now, major closures & job losses will be next 
, BICS scheme expansion would cost more, but Make UK says it's necessary 
I feel so bad for these manufacturers. They're already struggling with massive energy bills and now they're being told that they'll have to bear the brunt of this crisis. It's not fair to expect them to just wait it out until 2026 when the grid is upgraded 
ugh its like theyre expecting companies to just magically keep producing stuff without breaking the bank what about the ones who are already struggling? i feel bad for them, their owners and employees...anyway i think the gov should do more than just talk about it theyre making promises but no action is being taken 
like wut about the £80bn grid upgrade tho that sounds huge 
. It's not like these businesses can just sit back and wait for the government to act (like they're supposed to be doing). We need fast-tracking and bold action NOW 
. Come on, UK gov, show us you mean business! 
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they're already suffering so much with high energy bills & closures r happening left & right... like exxonmobil's plant in scotland is closing bc of the crisis 
industry needs help now, not just some vague promises 2 b implemented later