Mid Leicestershire MP Peter Bedford has thrown his support behind a local electrical firm leading a campaign to help businesses across the county cut their energy bills and make the switch to greener, cleaner power.
Peter visited Glenfield Electrical, based in Mill Lane, Glenfield, today to hear first-hand about the challenges facing local employers and to see the practical work the firm is doing to help.
The visit could hardly have been better timed. A new report from manufacturing body Make UK warns that UK industrial electricity prices are now four times higher than those in the United States, and a striking 46% above the global average.
The report urges the Government to act before the industrial strategy becomes "fatally flawed".
It's a picture Glenfield Electrical knows well. Earlier this year the firm published its own report, A Sustainable Future for Leicestershire Business, drawing on a survey of 40 county SMEs.
The findings made for sobering reading: half of businesses said their energy bills were rising, and three in five (60%) were worried about the impact on their operations.
The appetite to do something about it is clearly there. More than four in five businesses (82.5%) said they wanted to cut their carbon footprint, yet only 17.5% had firm plans to install renewable technologies in the next year.
Upfront costs, a lack of advice about available grants, and restrictions imposed by landlords on rented premises were among the most common barriers holding firms back.
Phil Houlder, Managing Director of Glenfield Electrical, said the Make UK findings chimed with what the company is hearing on the ground.
"Businesses are already facing plenty of obstacles in a difficult financial climate — tax and rate hikes, falling demand and ever more legislation. On top of that, plenty of barriers to accessing green, clean energy exist, particularly when it comes to landlords and tenancies," he said.
"The Make UK report confirms what we are hearing from businesses on the ground here in Leicestershire. Rising energy costs are an existential threat to energy-intensive businesses, and the time for action is now. We want to help local firms achieve the win-wins of both environmentally and financially sustainable energy, and we hope today's visit by our local MP helps ensure their voice is heard in Westminster."
Peter praised the firm for stepping up to help others through a tough trading environment.
"If it's going to help businesses save money and contribute to the adoption of greener, cleaner energy, then it's a very worthy campaign,"
"Glenfield Electrical are raising awareness and sharing advice on what is one of the major challenges facing businesses today. It's great to see a company in my constituency help others to cut costs and survive in such turbulent times for business."
Operating in Leicester and across the Midlands since 2013, Glenfield Electrical is using the survey findings to shape practical guidance for businesses looking to reduce their energy bills and move to greener power including advice on renewable technologies and choosing the right energy tariff. The report A Sustainable Future for Leicestershire Business is available at glenfieldelectrical.com/sustainablebusiness.
