Union surveying members on soaring charges as concerns over impact on food and farming grow

NFU Scotland is urging its members to provide details on soaring electricity costs and the impact that is having on their businesses.

The short life survey is at: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/VXXMNJR

Evidence provided will assist the Union’s lobbying on the energy crisis and the results will be collated ahead of the Union’s planned visit to Westminster in September.

In a website blog published yesterday (Wed 24 August), NFU Scotland President Martin Kennedy said that the ‘penny hasn’t dropped’ with Government when it comes to the impact that the cost of energy is having on business viability, particularly those required to deliver food security and guaranteed food supply.

One Scottish vegetable grower who contacted NFU Scotland last week will see their current electricity tariff of around 12p per unit run out at the end of September. They were quoted 71p per unit for a new contract which meant his electricity bill for the year, primarily to cool and store his potatoes and vegetables, ensuring they could be supplied throughout the autumn and winter, would jump from around £140,000 to over £800,000, which is completely unsustainable.

In the full blog, available at: https://www.nfus.org.uk/news/blog/penny-yet-to-drop-with-government-on-electricity-price-impact Mr Kennedy fears that response from many vital food businesses to electricity price hikes is that they will simply stop growing, storing or freezing.

The Union survey asks for details on costs, contracts, renewals and whether businesses have renewable electricity sources on farm.

Organiser of the survey, NFU Scotland’s Rural Business Policy Advisor Rhianna Montgomery said: “We are aware that members are experiencing significant increases in their electricity bills and wish to collate a series of case studies in which we can use as supportive evidence for our key asks to government.

“Even if members do not wish to be used as a case study, we urge them to complete the survey as any hard data we can collect before the survey closes on 7 September will be extremely beneficial.”  

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Contact Bob Carruth on 07788 927675