A tropical animal centre is grappling with the burden of surging energy bills, finding itself ineligible for government assistance.
The Living Rainforest, located in Hampstead Norreys, Berkshire, revealed a more than doubling of fuel costs since June 2022.
Despite expectations of relief through the government’s Energy Bills Discount Scheme, the centre contends that high thresholds for support make it feel like an unfulfilled commitment.
The Chief Executive of the Living Rainforest, Karl Hansen, remarked that the government scheme, intended to offer relief from escalating energy costs, is “not very generous.”
Mr Hansen said: “Since the Ukraine war, our energy costs have gone through the roof.
“It took us months to jump through all the application hoops and we were finally informed that we were eligible for the scheme in September 2023 and given a certificate to prove it.
“Despite our electricity charge having risen by two to three times, our electricity supplier recently informed us that we’re still below the government-mandated threshold above which an energy discount actually becomes payable.
“So despite being eligible, it looks like we won’t get any energy bill discount from the scheme. It just feels like a false promise, really. I guess it’s not very generous.”
A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson told Energy Live News: “We acted swiftly when energy prices peaked to provide businesses with unprecedented support, saving them £7 billion and enabling some to only pay around half of predicted wholesale energy costs.
“Our support is continuing through to 31 March 2024 with our Energy Bills Discount Scheme – allowing eligible organisations to get a discount on their energy bills.”
