Energy cost crisis | Businesses look set to enforce new WFH plans - but not for Covid

Whilst employee wellbeing has largely defined the recent conversation around remote working, new research from Smart Energy GB has discovered that nearly one third of SMEs within the UK are considering plans to force their staff to work from home over winter, to mitigate the costs of steeply-rising energy bills.

As the price of utilities looks set to continue inflate throughout the coming months, the research ascertained that 30% of companies are considering the possibility of widespread office shutdowns to prevent costs from spiraling.

Whilst a minority look set to take such drastic action, the prospect of incurring higher bills seems to be a concern among the majority, with 62% of small business respondents admitting that they’re currently worried about their ability to operate over winter.

Across all industries, companies are now planning to tighten their belts, as more than nine in 10 say they are trying to become more energy efficient.