Faced with the explosion of their energy bill, some small businesses prefer to close

It’s the latter option…that a growing number of small businesses are considering. Winter is fast approaching and with it the period of high energy consumption. At the same time, several structures will have to renew their contract with their supplier for the year 2023, but at exorbitant prices, due to the rise in energy prices in the wholesale market. Added to this is long-lasting inflation that also significantly inflates commodity prices, further hurting VSEs and SMEs.

In this economic context, several of them now plan to close the curtain for a few days or even several months. This year, Olivier Lagniez will have to skip the end-of-year celebrations, a traditionally prolific time for his Strasbourg-based bakery. “We will close the night of December 22 and we will not have Christmas for our customers,” laments the Alsatian.

At the origin of this radical decision, a disproportionate increase in the raw materials that the baker needs to make his products: “Our pastry cream has taken 30% because the milk has increased by 30%, the eggs the same, the sugar the same”. . . Then we are going to add the whipped cream. Two months ago I paid 2.30 euros. Now it has gone to 3.80 euros”.

“It’s all these things to think about and at some point, we can no longer support all these increases,” summarizes the baker.

Switch to seasonal mode for a restaurant

In Metzeral, southwest of Colmar, it is the explosion in energy prices that pushes Frédéric Kempf to lower the curtain on his restaurant for half the year, from November to next May. His electricity bill tripled from 20,000 to 60,000 euros while the price of gas multiplied by 7.

Since the coronavirus pandemic, the hotel and restaurant sector has suffered significant recruitment difficulties due, in particular, to the lack of image of their professions.

“Since we can’t fill our three rooms at the weekend and are short-staffed, we can’t make up for the week’s profit loss with the power surge,” explains Frédéric Kempf. “We may be seasonal, we may only work from Easter to All Saints’ Day like twenty years ago.”