Small companies are being plunged into a crisis by soaring energy bills.
Official data shows the number of companies across Scotland that have gone out of business has risen from 418 in the first nine months of last year to 646 over the same period this year – with rising costs being blamed.
Dumfries butcher Stuart Houston was stunned when he was told that the annual electricity bill for his shop is set to almost triple, from £25,000 to £67,000 this year.
