The Forum of Private Businesses is encouraging an investigation into the high-energy costs crippling small businesses.
Energy regulator Ofgem has begun an investigation into the reasons for an increase in energy costs at a time when energy companies’ profits have rocketed. British Gas’ profits alone leaped from £95m in 2006 to £571m the following year.
Managing Director of price comparison service Utilities Options, Colin Beake, believes that businesses can easily resent price rises without acting upon this: "Electricity and gas supplies are always on tap, so most businesses make the excuse that they are too busy to get to grips with the problem and push the action needed to the bottom of the pile."
The enquiry comes on the back foot of a survey of 2,400 SMEs conducted by Energywatch, that discovered suppliers were underperforming in many areas of service such as meter reading, billing, switching services and contract renewal.
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