Call for action over energy prices at UK factories

Industrialists from several manufacturers told the newspaper that green taxes were putting their British plants at a competitive disadvantage compared with their European competitors. They urged the prime minister and chancellor to extend their pledge to "roll back" the levies on households to manufacturing plants. Tom Crotty, director of chemical company Ineos, is reported to have said: "We are at a crisis point. We will not have an energy-intensive sector in this country in 20 years' time; it will not exist. "You already see chemical companies closing assets, steel companies closing assets. At some stage you need to take a decision and say, is that OK or is it not OK?" Karl Koehler, ceo of Tata Steel's European operations, told the FT: "Our UK manufacturing plants face electricity costs that are as much as 50 per cent higher than our key competitors in France and Germany. "If the chancellor wants an industrial recovery and to rebalance the economy he must show real commitment to fair energy costs for foundation industries such as steel."