Unlike domestic customers, who face an 80% rise in average bills in October, businesses operate without any sort of regulated price cap, with some pub owners saying they are struggling to even find suppliers willing to feed their venues when contracts are coming up for renewal. Now the bosses of six of the UK’s biggest pubs and breweries have signed an open letter to the government calling on it to act to prevent “real and serious irreversible” damage to the industry. Greene King, JW Lees, Carlsberg Marston’s, Admiral Taverns, Drake & Morgan and St Austell Brewery want extra help for an industry also facing big rises in wholesale food and drink prices. Nick Mackenzie, chief executive of the 2,700-strong Greene King group, said one tenant saw his energy bill jump by £33,000 for the year. He said: “While the government has introduced measures to help households cope with this sharp rise in prices, businesses have to deal with it themselves and it will only get worse in the autumn. “Without immediate government intervention to support the industry, we could face the prospect of pubs not being able to pay their bills, jobs being lost and local favorites across the country being forced to close their doors, which it means all the good work being done to keep pubs open during the pandemic could be lost.” Read more: Almost two-thirds of hospitality businesses feel abandoned by the government Hosting businesses call for urgent VAT cut What if you refuse to pay your bill? Your questions answered Bosses, who sit on the board of the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), have called on the government to implement an emergency support package that effectively caps the price of energy for businesses. A government spokesman said: “No government can control the global factors driving up the price of energy and other business costs, but we will continue to support the hospitality sector in navigating the coming months. “This includes providing 50% business rate relief for businesses across the UK, freezing alcohol duty on beer, cider, wine and spirits and reducing employers’ national insurance. “This is in addition to the billions in grants and loans offered throughout the pandemic.”
