How are UK museums going to keep the lights on this winter?

This article was first published by Apollo Magazine.

With the world facing a difficult winter in the face of the global energy crisis, museums in the UK have been held up as potential ‘warm havens’ – free, heated spaces for people who are unable to afford their bills. But how are museums themselves going to keep the heating on?

After much anxious anticipation, the UK government announced a six-month cap on gas and electricity costs that will provide some temporary relief for museums and arts organisations alongside other businesses, charities and public sector bodies.

The new ‘supported wholesale prices’ of £211 per MWh for electricity and £75 per MWh for gas will slash the projected prices for this winter by more than half, a move that is expected to cost the government tens of billions of pounds.

However, these capped figures are still almost twice the size they were this time last year, meaning that art organisations are still likely to feel the squeeze. Without much assurance about what happens in six months, they have also been left unable to plan ahead.