New figures from the Office for National Statistics show that around 62% of trading businesses had concerns about energy prices in late May 2026, with fuel price worries also running high across the country — and Kent’s transport, farming and hospitality sectors are feeling the pressure.
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What the Numbers Actually Say
The Office for National Statistics posted the findings on social media this week, drawing attention to just how widespread cost concerns remain among UK businesses heading into summer 2026.
According to the ONS Business Insights and Conditions Survey — known as BICS, a fast-turnaround survey designed to capture real-time economic conditions — 62% of currently trading businesses reported some degree of concern about energy prices in late May 2026. That figure was broadly unchanged from the previous fortnight. On fuel prices, 68% of trading businesses said they were worried to some extent. A figure above two-thirds, and hardly cause for celebration.
It’s worth being clear about what “some degree of concern” means here. The ONS aggregates several response categories — think moderate concern and major concern — into a single headline figure. The detailed breakdown sits in the data tables, but the headline alone tells a stark story: roughly two in every three trading businesses across the UK are still losing sleep over what it costs to keep the lights on and the lorries moving.
Why Costs Have Stayed High
Cast your mind back to 2021 and 2022, when energy prices shot up sharply after global supply disruptions and geopolitical tensions sent wholesale gas and electricity markets into turmoil. Ofgem’s price cap for households became headline news, but businesses faced their own crisis — one that prompted the government to introduce the Energy Bill Relief Scheme and related support measures for non-domestic users. Many of those schemes have since been scaled back or replaced.
And that’s part of the problem. Even as wholesale prices have eased from their peaks, businesses can still be locked into fixed-term contracts agreed at higher rates. Forward prices remain volatile. Uncertainty about future carbon pricing and energy regulation adds another layer of anxiety on top of the raw cost figures. So it’s not simply a case of wholesale prices falling and everyone breathing a sigh of relief.
The ONS is clear that BICS data are classed as experimental statistics — meaning they’re newly developed and still being refined — but they’re widely used by policymakers at HM Treasury and the Bank of England to monitor cost pressures and watch for signs that businesses might pass those costs on to consumers through higher prices.
The Kent Picture
The ONS doesn’t publish county-level breakdowns for BICS, so there are no verified figures specifically for Kent businesses. But the national picture maps closely onto concerns that local business networks have been raising for some time.
Kent sits at the heart of some of the UK’s most fuel-intensive industries. The Port of Dover and Eurotunnel handle enormous volumes of freight, and the lorries threading their way along the M20 and M2 burn a lot of diesel. Haulage and logistics operators in the county are directly exposed to every twitch in pump prices. Agriculture and horticulture — significant employers across the county’s rural areas — face heavy energy bills for cold storage, food processing and heating polytunnels. Hospitality businesses in places like Whitstable, Margate and Tunbridge Wells, still finding their feet after a difficult few years, run on tight margins where energy bills can make or break a season.
The Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce has consistently flagged energy and fuel costs as a top concern for its members, a picture that aligns squarely with what the ONS is now reporting at national level.
What Businesses and Officials Are Saying
The government’s position, as stated through official channels, is that global markets and geopolitical tensions — rather than domestic policy failures — are the primary driver of elevated energy and fuel prices. Officials point to progress on reducing headline inflation and to ongoing investment in renewables and grid infrastructure as the longer-term answer to energy security.
Critics — including opposition parties and some business groups — argue that support for smaller businesses has been withdrawn too quickly while prices remain historically high. They say that micro and small firms, which make up the bulk of businesses in Kent’s town centres and on its industrial estates, need more targeted, long-term help rather than broad schemes that have now largely wound down. Some environmental groups add that persistently high fossil fuel costs make the case for faster investment in energy efficiency and electrification — but stress that smaller businesses need support to make that transition rather than being left to manage it alone.
The Knock-On Effect on Everyday Life
When businesses face sustained cost pressure, it rarely stays contained within the business itself. Higher energy and fuel bills can mean higher prices at the till, reduced opening hours, delayed investment or, in some cases, closure. That’s not abstract — it’s the difference between a bakery in Faversham staying open or shutting up shop, or a family-run haulage firm in Sittingbourne deciding whether to take on a new driver.
Persistent concern about costs also tends to make businesses more cautious about hiring and expanding. And public services aren’t immune either — schools, hospitals and council buildings across Kent face their own energy-related budget pressures, with impact on council tax and local service levels.
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Source: @ONS
Key Takeaways
- 62% of trading UK businesses reported some degree of concern about energy prices in late May 2026, broadly unchanged from the previous fortnight, according to the ONS Business Insights and Conditions Survey
- 68% reported concern about fuel prices in the same period — above two-thirds of businesses, suggesting fuel cost anxiety remains widespread
- Kent businesses in transport, logistics, agriculture and hospitality are among those most exposed to energy and fuel cost pressures, though no county-specific ONS figures are available
What This Means for Kent Residents
If you run a business in Kent — whether that’s a café in Canterbury, a logistics firm near Dartford or a farm outside Ashford — it may be worth checking whether you’re eligible for energy efficiency support through Kent County Council, Medway Council or your local district council, as several authorities run or signpost grant and advice schemes linked to national funding streams. The Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce is also a practical first port of call for guidance on managing energy costs and accessing business support. For households, the indirect effects of high business energy costs — through prices for food, services and local transport — are a reminder that energy bills aren’t just a business problem; they ripple out across the whole community, and staying informed about Ofgem’s price cap updates and any new government support announcements remains worthwhile.