Uswitch for Business comments on the Government announcement that leisure centres with swimming pools will be given a £63m boost to manage rising energy and maintenance costs as part of the Spring Budget. Jack Arthur, energy expert at Uswitch for Business, comments:- “Public leisure centres with swimming pools typically have very high energy usage; but are not officially classified as energy-intensive businesses. Leisure centres don’t qualify for additional Government support available from April onwards, and as a result, face the threat of closing their doors for good. This would have a devastating impact on local communities. Today’s news will offer a new lifeline to many leisure facilities, with the announcement of a £63m fund to help make them more energy efficient; which should reduce bills in the long term. The Energy Bill Relief Scheme ends at the end of this month, so it’s crucial that sports and leisure businesses are not overpaying for their energy bills by being out of contract or falling onto deemed rates; which could cost:- 30% to 50% more than negotiated rates.“
Added notes for context...
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- Over half of small businesses including gyms and leisure centres have told us the soaring cost of gas and electricity is their biggest concern.
- One in ten small businesses expected to close parts of their premises to save on energy costs
(Uswitch research from 250 business decision-makers with customer-facing premises, December 2022)
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