Here are the business stories making the headlines across Scotland and the UK this morning.
NHS Grampian bosses face £5million energy bill increase
NHS Grampian’s energy costs are expected to soar by millions of pounds as pressure continues to hit frontline services.
The Press & Journal reports that the health board faces an increase to its gas bill of around £4.5 million to £5m in 2022-23 and a £400,000 rise in electricity costs.
This means the under-pressure health service will have to pay approximately £14.3m in the year ahead on its total energy costs.
Jobs lost as Peterhead firm goes bust
A 30-year-old Peterhead shotblasting firm has gone bust, with most of the jobs among a 13-strong workforce axed.
Administrators said GCG Shotblasting Services was a casualty of Covid after it struggled to recover from disruption caused by the pandemic.
The Press & Journal said Blair Nimmo and Geoff Jacobs, of Interpath Advisory, were appointed joint administrators on Monday.
Treasury plans to help renters get mortgages
The Treasury is drawing up plans to make it easier for hundreds of thousands of renters to get mortgages after the Bank of England on Tuesday signalled that interest rates are set to rise sharply.
The Telegraph reports that officials will this week present Treasury ministers with formal advice about what to include in a major review into widening access to mortgages.
One idea being pursued is a drive to convince lenders to accept people’s rental payments as proof that they could afford regular mortgage payments.
Royal Mail workers to hold 19 days of strike action
Royal Mail workers are to hold 19 days of strike action over pay and terms and conditions during the peak postal build-up to Christmas.
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said the strikes will cover Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
It told the BBC that the "significant announcement" reflects the "level of anger" workers feel.
Irn-Bru chief says deposit scheme is 'thin on detail'
A delayed drinks container recycling scheme for Scotland is under fire for lacking detail about how it will operate, according to The Times.
Roger White, the chief executive of AG Barr, the maker of Irn-Bru, has said the deadline for the initiative to go live in August next year is “extremely tight”.
He has concerns about the points where bottles and cans can be returned and about whether VAT might apply on deposited items.
The deposit return scheme was unveiled in 2017 and the hope had been to start recycling single-use drinks containers in 2021 but the plan was delayed by Covid-19.
Gas prices up 8% after three leaks in Nord Stream pipelines
Gas prices jumped amid concerns over security of supply after leaks were found in key pipelines linking Russia to Europe, raising sabotage fears.
Prices in Europe climbed 7pc from €176 per MWh to €188 per MWh while prices in Britain climbed 3pc to 258p per therm.
The Telegraph said three leaks have been found in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines running under the Baltic Sea between Russia and Germany, near to Sweden and Denmark.
Scottish ferry deal 'may have been rigged'
A leaked dossier has suggested the process of awarding a £97m Scottish ferries contract may have been rigged, the BBC claims today.
Documents obtained by BBC Disclosure indicate that successful bidder Ferguson Marine Engineering benefited from preferential treatment.
The two ferries are still being built for CalMac, but will be at least £150m over budget and five years late.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said he was concerned by the BBC's findings and would look into the matter further.
Food prices increasing at record pace
The price of food is rising at its fastest rate on record, with consumers now paying 10.6% more than they were a year ago, according to The Times.
Overall shop price inflation, including non-food items, is also at a record 5.7 per cent in September, up from 5.1 per cent in August, according to the monthly British Retail Consortium/NielsenIQ index.
The figures underline the squeeze facing households, and prompted calls for the government to help retailers battling a weak pound on top of other cost pressures.