Government needs to change 'mood music around the economy' and support Norfolk's small businesses
David Holliday owns Norfolk Brewhouse in Hindringham, whose energy bills rose by £700 last month
Last updated 21st Feb 2022
The Government needs to change the 'mood music surrounding the economy' and support small businesses in Norfolk, who need it.
That's the message from David Holliday, the owner of Norfolk Brewhouse in Hindringham.
He told us that many companies are suffering without an energy price cap: "We are totally beholden on the market and what it wants to charge us. We have no choice but to take this rate. Our electricity bill last month went up £700.
"We predicate that with electric and gas, we're facing an increase of between £16,000 and £19,000.
"That hurts. That's a big increase.
"That money is going to come right from the bottom line, so that's probably a person we can't employ or we have to think where else are we going to recover that money from? The last thing we want to do is pass on that price increase to our customers because then they are going to have to pass it onto their customers and then we get inflation at home".
He went on to say that the current climate is affecting everyone and will continue to do so, unless something's done: "We are seven employees in North Norfolk brewing some great beer, but there's hundreds and thousands of businesses like us.
"So if hundreds and thousands of businesses are £20,000 a year worse off. That's billions being taken out of the economy, so we mustn't say 'oh poor Norfolk Brewhouse Moon Gazer Ales' it's impacting on everyone.
"If you take £20 billion out of the economy, where's that coming back from?"
He concluded by admitting that the situation isn't going to resolve itself over night or by itself: "The impact of the pandemic is going to be affecting businesses for a year or 18 months still. The energy price is one of those.
"My frustration as a small business is the mood music is 'We're one of the fastest growing economies in the G7, everything is back to normal'. In reality it's far from being back to normal, each individual sector needs support and things addressing".