Following the UK strikes in Yemen, energy prices are set to spike again over the coming weeks, Care England has reported. In conjunction with the current cold snap in the UK and the current political climate, the price of gas and energy are again exposed to volatility, says the body representing independent providers of adult social care in England.

This, alongside ongoing underfunding and wider challenges that the care sector has faced for the last decade due to Government inaction, presents an increasingly challenging background yet again for care providers to operate in, Care England has summarised.

60% of care providers have cited utility bills as a key challenge and the second most cited cost pressure behind only workforce pay. Care England has responded accordingly, to ensure all care providers can alleviate some of their ongoing pressures.

In Care England’s new publication, Savings, Solutions, and Sustainability, published in association with CMM, energy sector expert David Woodward, Director at Focus Energy Services Ltd, shared what care providers can do to ensure they obtain the best value and most sustainable energy contracts when it comes to buying gas and electricity contracts. In the article, David also highlighted what constitutes a good energy broker, and outlined tips to make businesses more energy efficient.

Care England has also created a free-to-use Strategic Management Audit Repository Tool, containing a dedicated environmental, social, and governance (ESG) module outlining where care providers can work toward environmental targets, including a section on energy usage and efficiency.

Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, said, ‘Care providers are being put under unsustainable pressure this winter period. In response, Care England conducted an energy tender and lowered the cost of energy for 100% of care providers who participated. While we continue to deliver pragmatic solutions for adult social care providers, practical action is crucial to safeguard from future energy price spikes where possible via the Care England tender.

‘Recent events have taught us that having our own solutions in place wherever possible is more important than ever; to be forewarned is to be forearmed. Energy is central not just to the wellbeing of people in receipt of care, but to a business itself.’

Click here to read the first issue of Savings, Solutions, and Sustainability. The publication aims to help care providers navigate challenging financial pressures and offer cost-saving solutions to support business operations.