AN apprehensiveness about rising energy bills is at the forefront of discussion for many, none more so than businesses both big and small.

One business seeking to steer themselves through the sea of uncertainty is Teignbridge Propellers International Ltd, with whom the Mid-Devon Advertiser recently caught up.

Founded in 1974 and based in Newton Abbot, Teignbridge Propellers are the largest manufacturer of propellers and sterngear in Europe.

Finance director at Teignbridge Propellers International, Ian Mills, said: ‘We are a big user of electricity because of our foundry.

‘We take a contract out for buying electricity, usually for two or three years, we delayed taking it out earlier on in the year but we have now taken out a contract which starts from October.

‘That has meant that our electricity costs have more than doubled which is a lot of money, we are talking hundreds of thousands.

‘As we are an export business and we are relatively resilient, we will not have to take the costs within our business, we will have to pass them on to customers.

‘It means our prices go up, fuelling inflation but that’s the same for everybody.

‘Where we could come unstuck is if there are any power interruptions in the winter.

‘Our costs are all going through, increasing rapidly but we have the benefit of being able to pass it on to our customers – he said hopefully!

‘We are of a critical mass where we are able to get credit from the electricity supplies and I believe some businesses can’t get that.

‘Say you are a small business and your electricity bill is around three or four thousand a month and then suddenly it has become ten thousand a month...

‘I would imagine the Government are going to have to do something to support businesses or there is going to be mass unemployment.

‘We feel we are in reasonable shape but it is something that, well, it is another uncertainty.

‘We’ve had Covid and now this inflation, we use a lot of metal and that is very volatile, it’s gone up and down.

‘I suppose our biggest threat could be if they start suddenly cutting the power off to businesses if there is a huge electricity shortage.

‘If we get a very cold winter in January and February, deep snow and sub zero temperatures for an extended period of time it could turn out to be very difficult.

‘We are probably one of the bigger users of electricity in Newton Abbot I would have thought.

‘It’s the foundry that does it for us, using electricity to melt metal obviously uses a lot.

‘We are looking at getting generators as backup and that sort of thing – in this day and age you need a plan b, you don’t know what’s going to happen: we might need it if there is blackouts.

‘Costs shouldn’t go through the roof now because we have signed up for a two year contract.’