Bread sales can't cover energy bill at Dutch bakery
STORY: This family-run bakery in the Netherlands is struggling to keep the lights on
Energy bills have skyrocketed since the war in Ukraine began
(Dennis Toebast, Owner)
"Last year we had to pay 919 euros and this year we are paying 4,688 euros. That's only for one month. So that was the gas bill. Electricity bill: exactly the same. Last year: 1,268 euros, this year we have to pay 12,500 euros. This is no longer bearable."
Dennis Toebast's business has been passed down through five generations
But plans for his daughter to take over are now in jeopardy
Toebast says his 24 employees will keep their jobs until the end of the year
"I can keep doing this, but if the bills stay as they are now, then I’m finished in six months. I can keep this up for six more months. And then I could ask family for help, and banks, but I have no idea how the banks will react to this. At one point the money is gone."
About a million Dutch households are at risk
of being pushed below the poverty line
The government has promised 18 billion euros
to help with the cost of living crisis in 2023
