EXCLUSIVE: Local shops face £2,867 electricity-bill increase from April

Local shops hit hard by the government’s energy-relief changes face electricity-bill increases of around £2,867 per month from April, according to analysis by betterRetailing. 

From April, the government’s energy bill relief scheme for businesses that signed contracts after 1 December 2021 will be replaced by a far less generous energy-bill discount scheme. 

The level of discount is to decrease while the threshold to receive the new relief is to increase. 

Modelling of different local shop sizes, energy contracts and contract-renewal dates by betterRetailing showed wildly varying results.