Study finds 100% of North East businesses saw energy price rises in last year
A study has found 100% of North East businesses have seen energy bills rise in the last 12 months, the highest in the country.
Almost 80% of business owners in England, Scotland, and Wales have noticed their energy bills have increased over the past year according to business energy experts Utility Bidder.
Owners have since opened a Government petition calling for the Government to introduce a cap on business energy prices.
Business owners from across the region said their annual business gas and electricity bills increased in the past year (2024–2025), while 92.9% owners in the West Midlands said the same.
Welsh and Scottish businesses have also been affected by widespread increases, as more than four-fifths (87.5% and 84.6%, respectively) of companies have seen their energy costs rise.
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Chris Shaw, Utility Bidder CEO, believes these findings demand action: “Nearly 80% of businesses have seen their energy bills increase in just the past year, and yet there’s still no cap in place to protect them. For too long, British businesses, especially small and independent ones, have been left exposed to unstable energy prices without the safety nets that domestic consumers have.
“At Utility Bidder, we speak to business owners every day who are doing everything they can to survive. They're tightening budgets, putting off key investments, and, in some cases, considering closure.
“That’s why we’re calling on the UK Government to introduce a business energy price cap. It’s a simple but powerful step that could provide stability for every company. We’ve launched an official Parliament petition to help make this happen.”