Companies are being "left in the dark" by the Government's postponement of a decision on extending support for energy bills, business groups have said.
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), the North East England Chamber of Commerce and the British Chambers of Commerce have all called on the Government to make clear its intentions, just days after Chancellor Jeremy Hunt was reported to be mulling plans to retain the existing Energy Bill Relief Scheme which offers a discount on gas and electricity unit prices. Research from the FSB suggests thousands of small firms could be forced to close or downsize if the scheme is not extended beyond its current March 31 end date.
Mr Hunt had recently indicated that businesses could expect an announcement before or just after Christmas, but the Treasury has confirmed that will now come in the New Year. The British Chambers of Commerce say companies now face an "anxious and uncertain festive period" and that without a clear plan before January, many would have "no choice but to start preparing their workforce for potential redundancies".
