We compare business electricity from 20 plus suppliers for dark kitchens and delivery-only brands. Typical bills run £7.9k to £32.8k 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 dark or delivery kitchen 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.
Delivery only kitchens, ghost kitchens, kitchen pods and multi brand operators cooking for Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat. No dining room means no front of house heating or lighting, but everything else is intensified. Kitchen density is higher, trading hours are longer, extraction runs the whole session, and many units are all electric with no gas supply at all, which puts the entire bill on the more expensive fuel. Sector data for large multi cuisine hot food kitchens runs to 8,000 to 14,000 kWh of electricity a month. Figures below are estimates at 25p per kWh electricity, 7p per kWh gas and about £365 a year standing charges.
Very long trading hours, often late morning through to well past midnight
Multiple brands cooking from the same line, so equipment is rarely allowed to go cold
All electric units carrying the whole cooking load on the more expensive fuel
Extraction running continuously in a sealed unit with no natural ventilation
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 |
Map which brands actually sell after 10pm and power down the stations that do not
Choose induction over solid tops where you can, in an unventilated pod it cuts both the cooking load and the extraction load
Put the extraction on variable speed tied to the cooking line, in a dark kitchen it is often the second biggest electrical load
Consolidate refrigeration across brands where menus overlap, two half empty walk-ins cost more than one full one
If your unit has no gas supply, get your electricity contract reviewed more often, an all electric site is far more exposed to a bad rate
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 dark or delivery kitchen actually uses energy: the equipment, the hours and the fuels on your meters.
