Tertiary on its knees due to the continuous increases in energy prices. Between 2021 and 2022, spending more than doubled for hospitality, catering and retail companies that face heavy extra costs. The increase in spending goes from 11 billion in 2021 to 27 billion this year.
This is the alarm that Confcommercio launches with the latest Observatory created in collaboration with Nomisma Energia which analyzes the trend of bills between April 2021 and April 2022. In twelve months, increases between 110 and 140% have been triggered with a domino effect on the sector. This year, for example, the cost of diesel for road transport will reach 37 billion compared to 30 in 2021. Increases that are discharged on fruit and vegetables and food and not delivered to businesses.
The electricity and gas spending chapters are even heavier. Between January and April 2022, electricity has registered increases of between 50 and 80% and more. Gas grew by a third over the same period. In other words, a hotel with a consumption of 260 thousand kWh per year will pay about 137 thousand euros (+ 76%), a restaurant will spend over 18 thousand euros while a no food shop will have increases of close to 90%.
More concretely, over the last 12 months a hotel business has endured increases of over 68 thousand euros, a restaurant 9 thousand, a bar 5 thousand, a grocery shop 20 thousand euros while a trader spends an average of 5 thousand euros more.
“The tertiary companies are starting up again, the signs are encouraging, especially for the summer season, but the unknown war and the unstoppable growth of energy spending are holding back the recovery – comments Carlo Sangalli, president of Confcommercio who asks for support for the tertiary sector – . The Government must intervene to further reduce energy costs in a structural way. Businesses can no longer bear this burden ».