Vape shops in Mid and West Wales will keep their business rates relief for now, after Chancellor John Healey stripped it from vape shops in England in Wednesday's Budget.

“I will carve out adult gaming centres and vape shops from business rate reliefs,” Healey told the Commons. Business rates are devolved, so the change does not apply in Wales. Scottish ministers have already announced that vape shops in Scotland will lose their relief from April 2027, but the Welsh Government has not announced a similar change.

There are 25 vape shops in Mid and West Wales, according to an analysis of Google Maps listings by Ecigone, which counted shops listed as vape shops that are still trading. Carmarthenshire has the most with 11, followed by Pembrokeshire with six and Powys with five.

Shops in Wales still face the new UK-wide Vaping Products Duty, which started on 1 October at £2.20 for every 10ml of vaping liquid.

Shane Margereson, founder of Ecigone (https://ecigone.co.uk/), a five-time award-winning UK online vape shop, said: “Vapers have already seen prices go up since the new duty started on 1 October, so shops in Wales will be relieved not to lose their rates relief on top of that. Most of these are small local businesses helping adults move away from cigarettes, and if Wales followed England and Scotland, the worry is that higher costs for legal shops would make illegal vapes look cheaper by comparison.

“My advice to vapers is to shop around, stick to UK-registered sellers and think about switching to a refillable kit, which usually works out cheaper over time than prefilled pods,” Mr Margereson added.

The Welsh Government will also receive a share of the funding for the Chancellor's new £100 energy payment, which goes to homes in council tax bands A to D in England, and Healey called on it “to do the same”. Around 172,200 homes in Mid and West Wales are in bands A to D, according to Valuation Office Agency figures.

“A £100 payment would be real help for families in Wales in the coldest months, so it is worth checking your council tax band now,” said Dawn Yates, of electricity bill experts at Ex felons support. “Until the Welsh Government sets out how it will use its share, be very wary of any text, call or email asking for your bank details to claim this money.”