Reading, UK: The Cold Chain Federation is urging government to continue allocating energy bill relief to cold chain facilities beyond the current Energy Bill Relief Scheme, due to end on 31st March 2023.
The government is currently conducting a review into whether it will continue to provide energy bill relief from 1April 2023, but it has indicated that any continuation of the scheme will be scaled down significantly.
The Cold Chain Federation has been providing evidence to the review.
Tom Southall, policy director, Cold Chain Federation, said: “Bill relief is not a long-term solution to energy volatility but in the current crisis, unless meaningful relief continues cold chain operators will see energy bills shoot up just as more energy is needed to maintain low temperatures in warmer weather.
“Our evidence has demonstrated to government that the temperature-controlled storage and distribution of food and pharmaceuticals is critical national infrastructure, and that these operations are energy-intensive in their nature.
“The cold chain is making great strides in the energy efficiency of our systems and processes, and businesses are investing heavily in renewable power generation – action which will pay dividends for the nation in the medium and longer term. But in the short-term we are facing a crisis that requires support beyond March next year, for the stability of the food supply chain and to help keep food inflation down,” Southall said.
An announcement on any continuation of the Energy Bill Relief Scheme is expected from government by the end of 2022.
