Dan Smith, director of M4 Property Consultants, a commercial property consultancy located in Newport, South Wales provides his comments regarding the UK Gov announcement re the energy support packages for business:
The government’s announcement today about commercial energy prices is unlikely to provide the certainty that businesses were seeking and leaves many questions unanswered. Business owners needing to decide whether to sign a new lease, commit to new machinery or simply keep the business running are likely to still have serious doubts about being able to pay their energy bills. Of course, the six month commitment will be beneficial. However, what happens after this and where is the plan for long term, lower energy prices? Where is the plan to help businesses invest and generate their own green energy? As commercial property agents we talk to lots of businesses and the number one issue at the moment is energy prices. Unfortunately, the initial response to this morning’s announcement is that is simply papering over the cracks and doesn’t provide the certainty or vision many were hoping for!