Local businesses call for energy cost support ahead of budget announcement
The budget will be announced on Wednesday
We're hearing businesses across Hampshire want help with energy costs ahead of Wednesday's budget.
Hampshire's Chamber of Commerce is hoping businesses will be supported to be able to use more sustainable energy.
Ross McNally is chief executive.
He said: "We've had two budgets from this government in the past couple of years that have really stretched the resources of businesses.
"There's been a major increase in the cost of employing people.
"We've been asking for adjustments and recognition around such things as rates and the cost of doing business in particularly hospitality and in our town and city centres.
"Some of these things have been addressed and some others have not.
"It's really made the cost of doing business very high.
"At the same time, there's been a lot of global uncertainty due to the war, but the impacts that that's had on the cost of energy.
"For the first time in many years, we've had businesses in sectors that you wouldn't traditionally associate with major concerns around energy costs who have come to us and said, this is now a major factor in the decision making and the plans that they have."
Mr McNally's telling us what he'd like to see.
He said: "It's of concern and so part of what we're saying to this government is, yes, we would like to see an incentive to build confidence for business to grow and to invest, but we would also like to see regional and national strategy that can address the energy issues."