Research released last week by npower Business Solutions (nBS) at Cold Chain Live, finds that 97% of British firms are concerned about the increase in energy costs they face to finance the UK’s net zero transition.
Attendees at Cold Chain Live were especially interested to hear from Corporate and Strategic Direct Sales Manager Bernadette Holcroft, as she shared findings from the latest nBS Business Energy Tracker report: The cost of clean power: will your business pay the price?
“While it’s clear many businesses (41%) understand the longer-term benefits of clean power, nearly all (97%) are concerned about the cost impact of delivering the low-carbon transition – and especially those in the cold chain industry, which provides the backbone of the UK’s food and pharmaceutical supply,” says Bernadette.
As a sector, the Cold Chain is especially dependent on energy – collectively consuming an estimated 5 TWh of power each year. But by 2030, electricity prices could reach £250 per MWh, with as much as 75% of the overall invoiced cost made up of ‘non-commodity’ charges.
Cost increases to fund new infrastructure
These non-commodity elements include network, system and policy costs, which are set to dramatically increase over the next five years in response to new funding obligations to deliver the government’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan. While few businesses comprehend the full scope of the future cost increases, our research finds that energy remains the top perceived business risk for the fourth year in a row. And of the 130 large energy users questioned for the 2025 Business Energy
