CNA Piemonte Survey on Energy Bills for Small Businesses (September 2026)
On 19 September 2026, Cna Piemonte released the results of the survey "Energy and Small Businesses," conducted on a representative sample of member companies from various production sectors. The study captures the impact of rising energy costs on the region's business fabric, which is largely made up of micro and small enterprises.[1][2]
Survey Findings
According to the results, over the past six months 76.5% of small businesses saw their energy bills increase. Among the companies affected by the price hikes, nearly two out of three recorded increases of more than 10%, and 84% now consider energy costs a significant component of their business.[1][2]
56.8% of businesses report absorbing the increases by reducing their profit margins, while only 20.4% are able to pass on at least part of the higher costs to the prices charged to customers. 78.2% of respondents consider the consequences of geopolitical tensions on energy markets worrying, and for 86.7% the level of alarm linked to energy costs has increased over the past year.[1][2]
Statements from Cna Piemonte
The president of Cna Piemonte, Giovanni Genovesio, stated that "businesses are directly paying the energy bill" and that "every extra euro spent on energy is a euro that risks not going into new machinery, innovation, hiring a new employee, or the development of the business." Genovesio emphasized that in a Piemonte with a strong manufacturing vocation, energy must not become "a permanent brake on competitiveness."[1][2]
Genovesio also highlighted the planning difficulties linked to market volatility: "A business can cope with a cost, but it can hardly plan amid uncertainty. If you don't know how much it will cost you to produce in three or six months, drawing up a quote or deciding on an investment becomes a gamble in the dark."[2]
The Association's Requests
Cna Piemonte called for a shift from emergency measures to a structural industrial policy, with interventions on market transparency, cost predictability, and reducing businesses' exposure to energy price volatility. Among the priorities indicated are also protective tools accessible to the smallest craft and manufacturing businesses.[1][2]
Related articles: Cna Piemonte, Three in Four Small Piedmontese Businesses Report Rising Energy Bills
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Sources
- ANSA Piemonte — 19 September 2026
- TorinoOggi — 19 September 2026