Business groups across the UK have renewed calls for the government to scrap taxes levied on electricity bills, arguing that current levies are stifling competitiveness and holding back the shift towards greater electrification of industry and transport. The demand, reported by oilprice.com, reflects mounting frustration among commercial energy users who say the structure of Britain's electricity pricing puts them at a disadvantage compared with counterparts elsewhere in Europe. At the heart of the complaint is a long-standing quirk of the UK energy market: electricity bills carry a disproportionate share of policy costs and green levies compared with gas, even though the country is trying to encourage households and businesses to switch away from fossil fuels and towards electric alternatives. Critics argue that taxing electricity more heavily than gas sends exactly the wrong signal at a moment when the government wants to see faster uptake of heat pumps, electric vehicles and electrified industrial processes. The call comes against a backdrop of persistently high energy costs for UK firms, which have struggled with elevated bills since the energy crisis triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Manufacturers in particular have warned that expensive electricity makes it harder to compete with rivals in the United States, Asia and mainland Europe, where energy-intensive industries often benefit from more favourable pricing arrangements or government support schemes. For the net zero transition, the stakes are significant. Ministers have repeatedly stressed that electrification is central to decarbonising transport and heating, yet business groups say the tax burden on electricity undermines that ambition by making the cleaner option more expensive relative to gas in many cases. If electricity remains costlier to consumers than fossil fuel alternatives once levies are factored in, the incentive to invest in EV charging infrastructure, electric fleets or electrified heating systems is inevitably weakened. The government has previously acknowledged concerns about the balance of costs between electricity and gas bills, and various reviews have looked at rebalancing measures in recent years. However, any move to scrap or significantly reduce taxes on electricity would raise questions about how the Treasury replaces lost revenue, particularly at a time of tight public finances and competing spending pressures across departments. Energy-intensive sectors, from steel and chemicals to food processing, are likely to be among the loudest voices pushing for reform, given their exposure to wholesale and retail electricity costs. Smaller businesses, too, have flagged the cumulative effect of high energy bills on margins already squeezed by inflation and borrowing costs. Whether the government responds with concrete action remains to be seen, but the renewed pressure underscores a persistent tension in UK energy policy: balancing the need to fund clean energy investment through levies against the parallel goal of making electrification more affordable and attractive for businesses and consumers alike.