In an open letter, the Textile Services Association (TSA) in the UK has called on the new Prime Minister – Liz Truss – to urgently consider immediate measures to help the commercial laundry industry as part of the emergency budget to deal the rising energy costs.
The commercial laundry sector plays an essential role in the UK economy, although that was overlooked by the government during the pandemic. The sector was also denied assistance at the time, because it falls between the definitions of various primary and secondary sectors. The TSA recently surveyed its members about the kind of changes in energy prices they are witnessing. All responding companies reported considerable increases, with rises from 300 per cent to 1,500 per cent over the coming months.
Consequently, the Association is calling on the new government to present measures that supports the industry as it is an energy intensive user. The proposed measures include rate relief, low interest long term loans, qualification for grants previously denied the industry, along with subsidised energy costs and the introduction of an industrial energy cap. As David Stevens, CEO of the TSA states:
“Without laundries, sectors like hospitality, healthcare and many others wouldn’t be able to operate,”.
