We compare business gas and electricity from 20 plus suppliers for cafés and coffee shops. Typical bills run £4.3k to £17.5k a year and businesses that switch with us save 40 per cent on average, typically 30 to 50 per cent. The figures on this page are estimates from published UK benchmarks, not quotes.
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What a typical café or coffee shop uses and pays across the UK, from published benchmarks.
Figures are estimates from published UK benchmarks priced at 25p/kWh electricity, 7p/kWh gas and about £365 a year in standing charges. They are not quotes. See how we estimate.
Independent cafés, coffee shops, tea rooms and bakery cafés. Smaller bills than a full restaurant, but a very high energy intensity for the floor area, because a commercial espresso machine holds a boiler at temperature all day, display chillers and cake fridges run continuously, and the seating area needs heating from opening to close through the winter. Small meters are also the ones suppliers price least carefully, so the percentage saving is often larger than the cash saving suggests. Figures below are estimates at 25p per kWh electricity, 7p per kWh gas and about £365 a year standing charges.
An espresso machine boiler holding temperature from before opening until after close
Display chillers and cake fridges running continuously with open or glass fronts
Heating a seating area through the winter from first customer to last
A small meter that suppliers rarely price competitively unless somebody asks them to
Typical equipment loads across hospitality and food venues, with annual kWh and cost bands from published benchmarks.
| Equipment | kWh a year | Cost a year (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial deep fryers (x2, electric) | 12,000–26,000 kWh | £3,000–£6,500 |
| Extraction canopy and make-up air | 5,000–14,000 kWh | £1,250–£3,500 |
| Walk-in fridge and freezer | 9,000–19,000 kWh | £2,250–£4,750 |
| Commercial ovens and ranges (gas) | 25,000–90,000 kWh | £1,750–£6,300 |
| Dishwasher and glass washer | 3,500–9,000 kWh | £875–£2,250 |
| Lighting, HVAC and hot water | 8,000–22,000 kWh | £2,000–£5,500 |
Switch the espresso machine boiler off around 30 minutes before close, the water stays hot enough for the last few orders
Put display cabinet lighting and window lighting on timer plugs so they are not on overnight
Defrost and clean chiller condensers regularly, ice build up and a blocked condenser make a fridge run far longer than it needs to
Fit a door closer or a curtain, an open door in January is a heater running straight onto the pavement
Replace halogen counter spots with LED, counter and display lighting is on for every trading hour
Illustrative example
Around 60 covers a day with a full commercial kitchen
Ovens, extraction and walk-in refrigeration run through every service, and cold storage never switches off.
Illustrative example, not a real customer. Figures are estimates based on published UK benchmarks. See how we estimate. See all worked examples.
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Switching your energy supplier is just the start. Our team can help you reduce consumption too — with expert energy audits, LED lighting upgrades, refrigeration optimisation, and solar PV installations.
Get a comprehensive analysis of your energy consumption with actionable recommendations.
Learn moreCut lighting costs by up to 80% with commercial LED retrofits.
Learn moreOptimise your fridges, freezers and cooling systems for maximum efficiency.
Learn moreUpgrade your heating systems with smart controls to reduce waste.
Learn moreGenerate your own electricity and slash daytime energy costs.
Learn morePart of the Smart Energy group — trusted by businesses like Bargoed YMCA and Treforest Football Club for energy efficiency solutions across Wales and the UK.
Get a tariff matched to how a café or coffee shop actually uses energy: the equipment, the hours and the fuels on your meters.
