UK farm faces $17 million bill for natural gas as huge rises in energy costs threaten hundreds of thousands of jobs

A UK farm faces a $17 million annual bill for natural gas to heat its greenhouses as soaring energy bills put hundreds of thousands of jobs under threat

The director of Valley Grown Nurseries said his natural gas bill was likely to go up from 1 million to 2 million dollars. His produce of peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and aubergines is expected to bring in $5 million.

"If we don't get government support, we will have to make our 130 staff redundant and leave," he said. I am worried about the future of British growth.

Tens of thousands of jobs are under threat as huge rises in energy bills force bars, restaurants and hotels to consider closing for part of the week or shutting their doors for the winter.

Kate Nicholls, chief executive of lobby group UKHospitality, told The Sunday Times that up to 10,000 businesses could shut over the next 18 months, putting more than half a million jobs at risk.

Natural gas prices have gone up around the world as a result of Putin's actions.

British consumers are facing an 80% increase in their electricity and gas bills. According to Auxilione, the figure could go as high as 7,263 next April.

While household bills are subject to a price cap set by the energy regulator Ofgem, UK businesses don't have the same protection.

Following Boris Johnson's resignation as prime minister, there is not a clear plan to help consumers and businesses. The foreign secretary who is likely to replace Johnson will have no choice but to change tack, as she has vowed not to offer government handouts.

In an interview with The Guardian, Daniel Mussard, the owner of the eight-bedroom Bennachie Lodge hotel near Aberdeen, Scotland, said it may be cheaper to close the hotel this winter instead of heat rooms for guests.

We make less of a loss by closing the doors because of the prospect of it costing more to run than we make.

The energy bill at The Rose and Crown pub in Bebington, England, has gone up sixfold since May.

—The Rose and Crown (@RoseAndCrownBeb) August 27, 2022

I know you're out of a job in a few days, but do you have a plan for how to combat these energy prices?

A business that operates about 20 pubs and employs 400 people in the southeast of England told The Sunday Times that it would have to raise its energy bill by fourfold.