Rising energy costs - the bane of many a publican's life.
You should have already taken steps to tackle them…through ensuring you are on the best energy tariff for you, by taking all the simple energy-saving measures across your business, and by ensuring that your staff are following them too.
But what if you could cut those costs to the tune of 30 per cent or more - if you were prepared to make a significant investment in your property. Wouldn't you want to do that if you had the available funds?
Blue Sky Energy Solutions is one company which is itching to who you how you can save energy. Established by American engineer and physicist Alan Spangler last year, the company is actively targeting pubs as an industry which can make big savings - and where there is huge scope to do more.
"If you look at the stockmarket over the past 50 years a good stockbroker would maybe make 8 per cent, with maybe Warren Buffet making 11 per cent," he says.
"Using our systems we believe pubs could see an average return on their investment in energy saving of 10 per cent in eight years."
Scope for improvement
An impressive claim. But while it is early days, licensee Joanna Keegan at the Crown in Richmond Upon Thames, Surrey would back it up.
The Crown is the ideal location for Spangler to prove what the company can do, partly because there was so much scope for improvement - and partly because his offices are based upstairs!
Keegan says she was impressed with the Blue Sky service - which runs from analysing utility bills to full project management - from day one
"I'm a licensee, not an energy expert," she says. "And before we even started on the work Alan got us a good deal on our energy supplier. Then he gave us a full audit of the pub and we decided to go for it," she says.
Following a thorough analysis of the business, which included computer-based modelling, the company advised the following changes:
• Installation of ultra-low energy LED interior and exterior lighting
• insulation of the loft
• flat roofs and selected walls
• an innovative beer cellar renovation using mains water for cooling
• rainwater harvesting to solve a drainage issue and provide water supply to the toilets.
With a total cost of £18,000 the work was certainly not cheap - and it was a bold step for the licensee. But to date it is not one that she regrets.
"The pub is now brighter and more comfortable for our customers, our utility bills have reduced significantly and we continued operating while the energy savings work was undertaken," she says.
"One very visible feature in the pub is now an easy-to-read meter which shows everyone how much energy the pub is using at any time. This has become a focal point for pub staff and customers, and helps keep the business aware of its own energy use in real time."
However she adds that pubs don't necessarily need to go to such drastic lengths to save money. "Even just putting the lids on pans can make a huge difference," she says.
"I would urge other pubs to do something about saving energy - even if you take one small step at a time you will soon see the savings you can make."
Spangler says that while the investment at the Crown was significant, the pub is likely to have paid it off within three years.
"In this case, the pub has significantly reduced its operating cost, will generate a return on the money invested in itself, and has reduced carbon emissions by about 15 tonnes a year," he says.
"Energy efficiency makes economic sense."
For more information visit www.bluesky-energy.co.uk
Grants and loans
Funding may be available to help you with energy-saving work on your business. Visit www.businesslink.gov.uk for details
The Carbon Trust can offer 0 per cent loans for small businesses installing energy-saving equipment - and with a loan repayable over four years it can easily pay for itself.
Visit www.carbontrust.co.uk