We compare business gas and electricity from 20 plus suppliers for pubs, bars and social clubs. Typical bills run £11k to £38k 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 pub, bar or social club 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.
Community locals, town centre bars, gastropubs, micropubs, working men's clubs and members clubs. The defining feature is baseload. Cellar cooling, beer line chillers, bottle fridges and ice machines run 24 hours a day regardless of trade, and older pub buildings are among the hardest to heat in the UK. CIBSE TM46 benchmarks a bar, pub or licensed premises at about 130 kWh per square metre a year of electricity and 350 of fossil fuel, so floor area matters as much as trade. Add a kitchen and the bill roughly doubles. Figures below are estimates at 25p per kWh electricity, 7p per kWh gas and about £365 a year standing charges.
Cellar cooling that never switches off, including the days you are closed
Bottle fridges and ice machines running around the clock behind the bar
A large old building losing heat through single glazing, high ceilings and doors that keep opening
Late licences pushing your trade into the most expensive hours of the day
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 |
Have the cellar cooling serviced annually and the condenser kept clear, a system with a blocked condenser works far harder than a serviced one for the same cooling
Insulate the cellar and fit a proper self closing door, cellar cooling is fighting the rest of the building all year
Put the glass washer on full loads and turn it off at close, standby tank heating overnight costs real money
Zone and time the heating around your actual trading sessions, not one setting from open to close
Check external and garden lighting is on a photocell or timer, it is the load most likely to be running at 4am
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 pub, bar or social club actually uses energy: the equipment, the hours and the fuels on your meters.
