The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has urged energy regulator Ofgem to act quickly to enact recommendations and ensure businesses avoid another winter energy crisis.

Responding to Ofgem’s non-domestic market review consultation, the BBPA supported most measures put forward by the regulator, but stressed the need for urgency if brewers were to avoid the threat of “sky-high energy costs” again this coming winter.

The BBPA’s response also noted that:

• It is essential that government support Ofgem to implement the recommendations laid out in the non-domestic market review to ensure the protection of vulnerable businesses and that entire sectors are not held to ransom in the future
• There should be parity between the protection of domestic and non-domestic users in the energy market
• Ofgem must ensure that where policy options initially rely on voluntary measures for suppliers, that there is also recourse to more binding mechanisms to ensure expected standards of conduct and behaviour are met and maintained.

BBPA chief executive Emma McClarkin said: “Just last week we saw Ofgem rightly step in once again for domestic users, but we must not forget that thousands of businesses are still struggling with their energy bills, and this will only get worse as we head into the colder months.

“We support Ofgem’s recommendations, which are sound and sensible, but they mean very little if they are not implemented quickly to protect businesses from future energy price hikes. In turn, the government must also recognise the severity of this issue has not gone away and ensure Ofgem has the power to regulate effectively now and protect our pubs and brewers in the future as well.”

The consultation closes on September 6.