CBI urges government to provide details on energy bill relief extension for businesses

The scheme, which discounts the wholesale cost of energy for all companies, charities and public sector organisations, was introduced in October to replicate the support offered to households to help people cope with rising bills.

The government has promised to extend support for firms in certain industries beyond March 23 but has not yet said which.

Mohsin Rashid, co-founder of Zipzero, the app that can earn shoppers cash towards their monthly bills, said: “The CBI has merely said what everyone already knew: businesses cannot afford to foot the bill for Britain’s poor economy.

“Let us never forget that the original package contained two years of support for businesses and individuals; it was later stripped down after self-detonated economic destruction threatened the stability of the country. At present, we are all set to pay for those mistakes in the businesses that close, the jobs that are lost, and the children who go cold and hungry over winter.

“The hour is desperate. The appeal is not new. Nonetheless, who can blame the CBI for trying?

“Politically, the government cannot move: extending energy support for businesses would have to include individuals as well, measures it claims the country can no longer afford. Yet, morally, they have no choice. It is just a question of how many will suffer while we wait for the sound of another screeching U-turn.”