By Olivia Condous
Melton businesses are feeling the pinch as rising energy prices leave owners concerned about the future.
According to a new survey from the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 96 per cent of companies said they were concerned about the rising cost of electricity and 79 per cent were uncertain about forecasting costs for their business over the next year.
Victoria’s Pizza and Beyond owner Max Nosair said he had recently transferred to a different energy company to see if the business could save money.
“We can’t do anything [else], when you’re open from 12 o’clock until 10 o’clock and you can’t do anything,” he said.
H’s Place Hairstudio owner Bahjat Hajjar the increase in energy prices, as well as supply issues, meant profits were a lot lower.
“We’re not making that much profit, because everything is expensive, so we’re waiting to see if everything settles down,. so we can know what we can do,” Mr Hajjar said.
“At the moment everything is up and down, up and down. Nothing is certain.”
City of Melton acting manager of engagement and advocacy Elissa Haley said the local business community was “feeling the crunch” at the moment.
“During a time when many still struggle with worker shortages, absences and supply chain constraints, all of which affect their revenue, being faced with rising energy prices creates a perfect storm,” Ms Haley said.
“The City of Melton is a member of the Western Alliance for Greenhouse Action. We’re currently working together with seven other Councils to help businesses save energy and cut costs, including switching to renewable energy.
“We encourage businesses to reach out to us if they would like to find out what they can do to protect themselves against future price increases.”
Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Paul Guerra said businesses needed commitment around certainty of price in the short term.
“Then we need to seize the opportunity in sectors like renewables, waste recovery, carbon technologies and transport…. doing this will help make Victoria the best place to live, work and operate a business.”
