'This will floor us!' Small business owner fears closure as energy price cap hikes bills in Autumn: 'Absolutely insane'

Regulator Ofgem has increased the energy price cap to £1,755, resulting in a rise in energy bills by two per cent this Autumn.

**ARE YOU READING THIS ON OUR APP? DOWNLOAD NOW FOR THE BEST GB NEWS EXPERIENCE**

Detailing how it will impact her business financially, Ms Gillon explained: "It's going to affect not only households but businesses too.

"If you look at the cost of electricity already and then we're deciding to up that, we've already got business rates, stock...

"Who's going to come out for a coffee if they can't even pay their own bills at home? It's affecting us massively."

Stressing how difficult it has been for independent businesses to keep afloat in the last decade, Ms Gillon added: "I think in the last 10 years, this is the toughest it's been for independents.

"At the moment we're basically surviving as an independent, and we're busy. If you're not busy, I don't even want to think about it.

"We're busy and we're just breaking even, so suddenly if that goes up again, we're in the negative."

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

• 'Another broken Labour promise!' Top Tory delivers scathing takedown as energy bills set for fresh hike: 'Enough of the ideology'
• Energy bills set to surge by DOUBLE the rate expected this winter in blow for millions of Britons
• Families implored to take action to avoid 'eye-watering' inheritance tax bill from Rachel Reeves

Telling GB News of her frustrations at the increasing financial pressure on small business owners, Ms Gillon said: "Where does it stop? Where does it go to? We're not able to survive as independents, and people want independents.

"They want to come in, they want to enjoy the vibe, but they can't. They're going to have too much cost and outgoings at home, but then businesses are going to suffer and close.

"And it's so mortifying to see and it's so sad to see, it will floor us. There'll be so many closing."

Asked by Sophie what support she would like to see for independent businesses in order to survive the rising costs, Ms Gillon called on support from "local councils" and a cut in business rates.

Ms Gillon explained: "I think there should be more incentive for independents to open. You can see high streets are dying, there's no new independents or fresh things coming through.

"And when there is, they've got an influx of money, so they've obviously done well with something else.

"Now we need support from the local councils, we need maybe business grants, a cap on business rates 100 per cent."

In a sharp criticism of business rates and their impact on business owners, Ms Gillon concluded: "Business rates are absolutely, incredibly high for what we are earning on a weekly basis. They're absolutely ridiculous.

"They should be abolished for all I care. That's a strong opinion, but they should be gone. There is no reason to charge an independent another £3,000 on top of what we're already earning. It's absolutely insane."

Responding to the increase, Minister for Energy Michael Shanks said: "We know that any price rise is a concern for families.

"Wholesale gas prices remain 75 per cent above their levels before Russia invaded Ukraine. That is the fossil fuel penalty being paid by families, businesses and our economy.

"That is why the only answer for Britain is this Government’s mission to get us off the rollercoaster of fossil fuel prices and onto clean, homegrown power we control, to bring down bills for good.

"At the same time, we are determined to take urgent action to support vulnerable families this winter.

"That includes expanding the £150 Warm Home Discount to 2.7 million more households and stepping up our overhaul of the energy system to increase protections for customers."