Pubs, restaurants and hotels slash bills with energy saving tool

More than 525 small and medium sized pubs, restaurants and hotels are set to receive free support to cut their energy bills through the extension of a government-funded energy and carbon reduction tool. 

An innovative new digital energy saving tool has already helped slash the average energy bills of 90 hospitality businesses by nearly £2,500 during a 12-month trial period, by reducing overnight energy consumption for some trialists by up to 66%. 

With support from government, Zero Carbon Services delivered behavioural change focused energy saving plans tailored to participants through the digital tool, providing real-time alerts to reduce unnecessary electricity use from wasted energy hotspots including extraction systems, fridges, ovens and lamps.

Following the success of the trial, it is now being extended to hundreds of hospitality businesses across England – with applications now open – supporting the government’s clean energy mission while helping business owners cut costs.

Participants of the trial included a pub in Bromley that cut its energy usage by 26%, saving them £48 per week – over a year, that reduction will prevent nearly £2,500 of yearly profit being lost to energy waste. 

Another smaller pub in Caterham, Surrey saw its overnight energy use fall by 66%, meaning savings of over £1,500 a year.

Minister for Industry Chris McDonald said  

We’re extending support to help more businesses slash bills and protect Britain’s hospitality sector. 

Our pubs and restaurants are playing a leading role in cutting emissions, which is not only good for the planet but for cutting their costs too. 

Alongside this, our clean power mission will protect businesses in the long-term. The conflict in the Middle East is yet another reminder that the only route to energy sovereignty is to end our dependence on fossil fuel markets we do not control and transition to clean homegrown power.

Mark Chapman, CEO of Carbon Zero Services, said 

When you put energy savings into real hospitality terms, the impact becomes very clear. Saving around £2,000 a year is the equivalent of the profit from selling thousands of pints, or the breathing space that protects hard-won margins during quieter months.  

We’re showing that climate action doesn’t have to be a trade-off. When energy is managed better, businesses become more efficient, more resilient and better placed to invest back into their teams, their venues and their future.

Mark Holden, Company Director of Inn Cornwall, said 

Thanks to the energy and carbon reduction tool, we’re already looking to save £5.01 each day from a few easy-to-implement changes. We will do this across our other sites, which could mean we’ll save £5,400 a year. The Energy and Carbon Reduction Tool is going to help save a lot of family businesses in the hospitality sector.

Many smaller businesses have lacked access to affordable, straightforward support to manage their energy use. By funding this project, the government is helping pubs, bars and restaurants across England reduce bills and cut emissions. 

Delivered by Zero Carbon Services, backed by £350,000 of government funding, the new online tool will enable businesses owners in communities across the country to keep more profits in their pockets.

Meanwhile, 20 businesses across England, Wales and Northern Ireland including baked beans giants Heinz and global beer brewers Coors, have also today received grants worth £23.4 million in funding from the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund to support carbon cutting and energy saving projects.

It follows the 15% cut to new business rates for pubs, announced in January that will save the average pub an additional £1,650 in 2026/27.

The Chancellor also announced a £10 million package of funding for the Hospitality Support Fund over three years – upped from £1.5 million for one year announced last April – to support pubs, restaurants and hotels across the UK.  

The additional funding aims to help over 1,000 pubs provide extra services for local communities, including creating community cafes, village stores and play areas to help pubs bring locals and families together and boost their footfall.

Notes to editors

The winners from the Phase 3 of the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) are

There are 20 winners worth £23.4 million in IETF funding supporting project costs of £60.7 million for projects, subject to contracts being signed. The full list of all IETF winning projects can be found on gov.uk.