Here are the business stories making the headlines across the country this morning.
Net zero costs to hit poorest households hardest, warns Ofgem
The costs of hitting net zero could hit the poorest households hardest, regulator Ofgem has warned, as it launched a consultation into affordability across the energy market.
Ofgem raised concerns on Monday about how energy bills are being used to shoulder the cost of going green, particularly as the Government ramps up the roll-out of renewables such as wind and solar.
In a statement on Monday, Ofgem said the short-term costs of net zero “could disproportionately hit lower-income consumers” who are unable to invest in new technologies or change their behaviour.
Fears over the cost of net zero falling disproportionately on lower-income households come amid warnings that customer debts have increased by 50% in the last year to £3bn.
UK should build new gas-fired power capacity to use as backup, government says, despite green targets
The UK needs to build more gas power capacity, the government has said, even while it is also trying to wean the energy system off of fossil fuels to meet climate targets.
It also forged ahead with proposals for regional electricity pricing, with the potential for households and businesses to be charged different amounts in different parts of the country - though other options remain on the table.
Electricity demand is increasing as the UK electrifies things like heating and cars, and the population grows.
Officials have been reviewing how to make sure supply keeps up with demand, is reliable, and reaches the right areas of the country.
Vet prices investigation over concerns pet owners being overcharged
Pet owners could be paying too much for medicines or prescriptions, the competition watchdog has said.
It follows a review into the UK's £2bn veterinary industry by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) after concerns pet owners are not getting value for money.
The CMA said it had identified "multiple concerns" in the vet market - with the review prompting an "unprecedented" more than 56,000 responses from pet owners and professionals in the industry - including that pet owners may be overpaying for medicines and not being given enough information about treatments.
More than a fifth of UK adults not looking for work
More than a fifth of adults in the UK were deemed not to be actively looking for work in the final months of 2023, official figures suggest.
The UK's economic inactivity rate was 21.8% between November and January, higher than a year earlier, the Office for National Statistics said.
It means 9.2 million people aged between 16 and 64 in the UK are not in work or looking for a job.
Concerns have been raised over worker shortages affecting the UK economy