The Middle East war has caused British business energy bills to skyrocket, with natural gas costs possibly surging by 80%.

Since late February, the electricity bills of businesses of various industries and sizes in the UK have increased by an average of 10% to 30%. The natural gas prices have increased even more dramatically, with Cornwall Consulting predicting that with the war pushing up wholesale prices, UK businesses' natural gas bills will rise by 25% to 80%. This round of price fluctuations coincides with the peak period in April for businesses to renew energy contracts, making the situation even more difficult for businesses. Jacob Briggs, head of energy user affairs at Cornwall Consulting, said, "Since the beginning of this month, predicted energy bills for businesses have soared significantly. Many businesses were already struggling with thin profits, and this round of energy cost increases will not be easy to digest. For some businesses, this will be a watershed between 'expanding investment this year' and 'completely shelving plans'; and for others, the high energy bills may force them to make extremely difficult economic decisions."