Uk Museums Rising Energy Costs Could Hamper Warm Banks Plan Museums

The Association of Museums said on Tuesday that the cost-of-living crisis risked being a bigger blow to the industry than the pandemic, with many museum directors scrambling over how to pay for increases in energy bills of up to 500%. Last week Ofgem confirmed that the average annual household fuel bill will rise by 80% to £3,549 from October and some analysts say bills could reach £7,600 by next year. Several areas including Birmingham, Ipswich, Gateshead and at least nine Scottish councils are exploring how to provide warm shelters in museums and other public buildings for people seeking shelter this winter. But the Association of Museums, which represents more than 1,800 UK institutions, said many facilities may have to close or reduce opening hours because their unrestricted bills would rise by between 200% and 500%. Its director, Sharon Heal, said: “Museums can only be safe havens if we have sustainable funding. We receive alarming calls almost daily from institutions saying their expected energy bills are five times higher than last year. They say, “This is the dealbreaker for us. This is worse than Covid. And these are big, important institutions across the city. “They are in absolute despair. I’ve never seen anything like it in the field – museum directors and CEOs saying, “We don’t know how we’re going to pay the bills this winter.” Museums are struggling to recover from falling revenue during the pandemic. Next week the association plans to plead with the new prime minister for extra funding to keep museums open so they can help vulnerable people stay warm. Heal said: “We will be making a very strong case to the new Prime Minister that we need investment in museums across the UK if we are to be able to keep them open as warm, safe spaces for the public during this winter. “Our message to ministers is that if you recognize that we are in an energy crisis and you want to support museums to mitigate that by providing these warm, safe spaces, there needs to be extra funding. It’s an investment in the safety of our communities.” He added: “The difference really between Covid and the cost of living crisis is that there has been no recognition or help from the government so far. During Covid we had the leave scheme and the cultural recovery fund, which stopped museums having to close their operations completely. “At the moment there is nothing on the table to support museums through this crisis. The Museum cannot be expected to keep its doors open if they have a 500% increase in their energy costs. It’s such a big part of their operating costs.” Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Had there not been help, Hill said, “the consequences could have been very serious. Museum services in major cities should either close for several days a week to save energy costs or close entire sites.” Last week, the Lowry in Salford said it was facing a tripling of its energy bills to nearly £1m – significantly more than its annual Arts Council funding. Managers at the arts complex – the North West’s most visited attraction – are confident it can pay the bills. But less popular attractions face a more uncertain future. “These are scary times,” said Carolyn Ayers, the estates and conservation manager at the Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust in south London, which is facing a nearly 400% increase in its fuel bill. “Uncertainty means we have to review and adjust plans every month,” he told Museums Journal. Heal said museums were willing to help provide warm spaces to the public this winter, but only if they could afford it. “For example, National Museums Liverpool has said it will open its doors to the people of Liverpool and not just to come in the winter to use warm spaces. But they can only do that if they have a sustainable financing model and can pay their energy bills.” He claimed museums were facing a “double whammy” of huge energy costs due to “often leaky historic buildings that do not retain energy well” and the need for new pay arrangements for museum staff to keep up with the rising cost of living.

title: “Uk Museums Rising Energy Costs Could Hamper Warm Banks Plan Museums Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-31” author: “Samantha Barlow”

The Association of Museums said on Tuesday that the cost-of-living crisis risked being a bigger blow to the industry than the pandemic, with many museum directors scrambling over how to pay for increases in energy bills of up to 500%. Last week Ofgem confirmed that the average annual household fuel bill will rise by 80% to £3,549 from October and some analysts say bills could reach £7,600 by next year. Several areas including Birmingham, Ipswich, Gateshead and at least nine Scottish councils are exploring how to provide warm shelters in museums and other public buildings for people seeking shelter this winter. But the Association of Museums, which represents more than 1,800 UK institutions, said many facilities may have to close or reduce opening hours because their unrestricted bills would rise by between 200% and 500%. Its director, Sharon Heal, said: “Museums can only be safe havens if we have sustainable funding. We receive alarming calls almost daily from institutions saying their expected energy bills are five times higher than last year. They say, “This is the dealbreaker for us. This is worse than Covid. And these are big, important institutions across the city. “They are in absolute despair. I’ve never seen anything like it in the field – museum directors and CEOs saying, “We don’t know how we’re going to pay the bills this winter.” Museums are struggling to recover from falling revenue during the pandemic. Next week the association plans to plead with the new prime minister for extra funding to keep museums open so they can help vulnerable people stay warm. Heal said: “We will be making a very strong case to the new Prime Minister that we need investment in museums across the UK if we are to be able to keep them open as warm, safe spaces for the public during this winter. “Our message to ministers is that if you recognize that we are in an energy crisis and you want to support museums to mitigate that by providing these warm, safe spaces, there needs to be extra funding. It’s an investment in the safety of our communities.” He added: “The difference really between Covid and the cost of living crisis is that there has been no recognition or help from the government so far. During Covid we had the leave scheme and the cultural recovery fund, which stopped museums having to close their operations completely. “At the moment there is nothing on the table to support museums through this crisis. The Museum cannot be expected to keep its doors open if they have a 500% increase in their energy costs. It’s such a big part of their operating costs.” Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Had there not been help, Hill said, “the consequences could have been very serious. Museum services in major cities should either close for several days a week to save energy costs or close entire sites.” Last week, the Lowry in Salford said it was facing a tripling of its energy bills to nearly £1m – significantly more than its annual Arts Council funding. Managers at the arts complex – the North West’s most visited attraction – are confident it can pay the bills. But less popular attractions face a more uncertain future. “These are scary times,” said Carolyn Ayers, the estates and conservation manager at the Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust in south London, which is facing a nearly 400% increase in its fuel bill. “Uncertainty means we have to review and adjust plans every month,” he told Museums Journal. Heal said museums were willing to help provide warm spaces to the public this winter, but only if they could afford it. “For example, National Museums Liverpool has said it will open its doors to the people of Liverpool and not just to come in the winter to use warm spaces. But they can only do that if they have a sustainable financing model and can pay their energy bills.” He claimed museums were facing a “double whammy” of huge energy costs due to “often leaky historic buildings that do not retain energy well” and the need for new pay arrangements for museum staff to keep up with the rising cost of living.

title: “Uk Museums Rising Energy Costs Could Hamper Warm Banks Plan Museums Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-13” author: “Sterling Ransom”

The Association of Museums said on Tuesday that the cost-of-living crisis risked being a bigger blow to the industry than the pandemic, with many museum directors scrambling over how to pay for increases in energy bills of up to 500%. Last week Ofgem confirmed that the average annual household fuel bill will rise by 80% to £3,549 from October and some analysts say bills could reach £7,600 by next year. Several areas including Birmingham, Ipswich, Gateshead and at least nine Scottish councils are exploring how to provide warm shelters in museums and other public buildings for people seeking shelter this winter. But the Association of Museums, which represents more than 1,800 UK institutions, said many facilities may have to close or reduce opening hours because their unrestricted bills would rise by between 200% and 500%. Its director, Sharon Heal, said: “Museums can only be safe havens if we have sustainable funding. We receive alarming calls almost daily from institutions saying their expected energy bills are five times higher than last year. They say, “This is the dealbreaker for us. This is worse than Covid. And these are big, important institutions across the city. “They are in absolute despair. I’ve never seen anything like it in the field – museum directors and CEOs saying, “We don’t know how we’re going to pay the bills this winter.” Museums are struggling to recover from falling revenue during the pandemic. Next week the association plans to plead with the new prime minister for extra funding to keep museums open so they can help vulnerable people stay warm. Heal said: “We will be making a very strong case to the new Prime Minister that we need investment in museums across the UK if we are to be able to keep them open as warm, safe spaces for the public during this winter. “Our message to ministers is that if you recognize that we are in an energy crisis and you want to support museums to mitigate that by providing these warm, safe spaces, there needs to be extra funding. It’s an investment in the safety of our communities.” He added: “The difference really between Covid and the cost of living crisis is that there has been no recognition or help from the government so far. During Covid we had the leave scheme and the cultural recovery fund, which stopped museums having to close their operations completely. “At the moment there is nothing on the table to support museums through this crisis. The Museum cannot be expected to keep its doors open if they have a 500% increase in their energy costs. It’s such a big part of their operating costs.” Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Had there not been help, Hill said, “the consequences could have been very serious. Museum services in major cities should either close for several days a week to save energy costs or close entire sites.” Last week, the Lowry in Salford said it was facing a tripling of its energy bills to nearly £1m – significantly more than its annual Arts Council funding. Managers at the arts complex – the North West’s most visited attraction – are confident it can pay the bills. But less popular attractions face a more uncertain future. “These are scary times,” said Carolyn Ayers, the estates and conservation manager at the Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust in south London, which is facing a nearly 400% increase in its fuel bill. “Uncertainty means we have to review and adjust plans every month,” he told Museums Journal. Heal said museums were willing to help provide warm spaces to the public this winter, but only if they could afford it. “For example, National Museums Liverpool has said it will open its doors to the people of Liverpool and not just to come in the winter to use warm spaces. But they can only do that if they have a sustainable financing model and can pay their energy bills.” He claimed museums were facing a “double whammy” of huge energy costs due to “often leaky historic buildings that do not retain energy well” and the need for new pay arrangements for museum staff to keep up with the rising cost of living.

title: “Uk Museums Rising Energy Costs Could Hamper Warm Banks Plan Museums Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-07” author: “Mary Forbus”

The Association of Museums said on Tuesday that the cost-of-living crisis risked being a bigger blow to the industry than the pandemic, with many museum directors scrambling over how to pay for increases in energy bills of up to 500%. Last week Ofgem confirmed that the average annual household fuel bill will rise by 80% to £3,549 from October and some analysts say bills could reach £7,600 by next year. Several areas including Birmingham, Ipswich, Gateshead and at least nine Scottish councils are exploring how to provide warm shelters in museums and other public buildings for people seeking shelter this winter. But the Association of Museums, which represents more than 1,800 UK institutions, said many facilities may have to close or reduce opening hours because their unrestricted bills would rise by between 200% and 500%. Its director, Sharon Heal, said: “Museums can only be safe havens if we have sustainable funding. We receive alarming calls almost daily from institutions saying their expected energy bills are five times higher than last year. They say, “This is the dealbreaker for us. This is worse than Covid. And these are big, important institutions across the city. “They are in absolute despair. I’ve never seen anything like it in the field – museum directors and CEOs saying, “We don’t know how we’re going to pay the bills this winter.” Museums are struggling to recover from falling revenue during the pandemic. Next week the association plans to plead with the new prime minister for extra funding to keep museums open so they can help vulnerable people stay warm. Heal said: “We will be making a very strong case to the new Prime Minister that we need investment in museums across the UK if we are to be able to keep them open as warm, safe spaces for the public during this winter. “Our message to ministers is that if you recognize that we are in an energy crisis and you want to support museums to mitigate that by providing these warm, safe spaces, there needs to be extra funding. It’s an investment in the safety of our communities.” He added: “The difference really between Covid and the cost of living crisis is that there has been no recognition or help from the government so far. During Covid we had the leave scheme and the cultural recovery fund, which stopped museums having to close their operations completely. “At the moment there is nothing on the table to support museums through this crisis. The Museum cannot be expected to keep its doors open if they have a 500% increase in their energy costs. It’s such a big part of their operating costs.” Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Had there not been help, Hill said, “the consequences could have been very serious. Museum services in major cities should either close for several days a week to save energy costs or close entire sites.” Last week, the Lowry in Salford said it was facing a tripling of its energy bills to nearly £1m – significantly more than its annual Arts Council funding. Managers at the arts complex – the North West’s most visited attraction – are confident it can pay the bills. But less popular attractions face a more uncertain future. “These are scary times,” said Carolyn Ayers, the estates and conservation manager at the Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust in south London, which is facing a nearly 400% increase in its fuel bill. “Uncertainty means we have to review and adjust plans every month,” he told Museums Journal. Heal said museums were willing to help provide warm spaces to the public this winter, but only if they could afford it. “For example, National Museums Liverpool has said it will open its doors to the people of Liverpool and not just to come in the winter to use warm spaces. But they can only do that if they have a sustainable financing model and can pay their energy bills.” He claimed museums were facing a “double whammy” of huge energy costs due to “often leaky historic buildings that do not retain energy well” and the need for new pay arrangements for museum staff to keep up with the rising cost of living.