Hello and welcome to Business Weekly with me, Sasha Twining. On this edition, we'll hear how

climate policies are impacting on government infrastructure plans, particularly road building projects.

And we'll talk mobile money in Ghana and how the government there has latched on to a controversial way of

raising some much-needed revenue. But first, let's start with gas prices, because in the week

before Christmas, prices spiked again in Europe, in one day soaring 20%. Wholesale prices are now

double what they were at the beginning of November,

and they're around six times what they were at the start of the year. Here's Emma Pinchbeck of

Energy UK. It represents the energy suppliers. They're at levels that we, frankly, have not really

faced in the industry, particularly not in a winter period.

And in the UK in the middle of a pandemic and other cost of living issues and inflation,

so it's looking pretty serious for the spring.

The two principal impacts that we can already see, domestic energy bills are going to go up, 45 or 50%, we think, in the spring. The two principal impacts that we can already see, domestic energy bills are going to go

up, 45 or 50 percent, we think, in the spring. And of course, at price of that level, it starts to be a

systemic issue. So right across Europe, we're starting to see energy intensive companies and energy

generators being asked to turn down plant by government or changing their

output as a reflection of the cost of energy and the knock-on effects on demands.

Emma Pinchbeck of Energy UK there, and there are concerns that if producers and manufacturers

start turning down their plants, as she suggested, it will have a knock-on effect on economic recovery.

And as far as consumer bills go, some governments in mainland Europe have already taken steps to reduce taxes or VAT on bills to help.

But in some areas, Spain, for example, there have already been protests over the high prices.

So what's happening?

And is it short-term or something to get used to?

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