Kitchens, cellar cooling, walk-ins, glasswashers, coffee machines and extraction make hospitality one of the most energy-intensive small-business sectors. Business energy contracts are not covered by the domestic price cap, so the renewal date, the choice between fixed and flexible deals and the role of brokers all matter enormously. Ofgem has tightened rules on how brokers disclose their commission, so operators are entitled to know what they are paying for advice. The practical savings are often boring: a switch-on schedule so the whole kitchen is not fired up at eight in the morning, maintained door seals on fridges, defrosted freezers, induction hobs that heat the pan rather than the room, and extraction that drops when service is quiet.
Submetering shows which piece of kit is quietly eating the bill. Heat recovery, LED lighting and staff who switch things off add up too. Energy is also a carbon question, and guests increasingly notice venues that take it seriously.
What we ask on the show
- When did you first realise energy was a bigger cost than you'd budgeted for?
- What's the cheapest energy saving that actually made a difference?
- How do you get a busy brigade to switch things off?
- Fixed contract or flexible: how did you decide?