Monday July 14: Find the energy
Go green, and save money.
If you only take one message away from Proud of Pubs Week, make it this one - and make Monday July 14 the day you take a positive step towards saving energy in your business.
Don't be fooled into thinking you have bigger things to worry about in this challenging year. With utility prices continuing to spiral upwards, looking closely at your energy output will make a real difference to your bottom line.
Since last year's Proud of Pubs Week, pub companies have opened flagship green sites, with JD Wetherspoon investing £3m on the Kettleby Cross in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire and a similarly ambitious move from Mitchells & Butlers at the Toby Carvery in Banbury, Oxfordshire.
But you DON'T need to spend it big to save energy and start cutting your bills today.
Independent price comparison service Energy Helpline offers licensees the following top 10 tips to saving money on your energy bills:
* Get in touch with your energy supplier to ensure you are on the most competitive rate
* Get on a contract
* Keep track of when your contract is up for review
* Shop around - there is a perfect plan for you out there
* Read the small print
* Search for a new supplier at least eight weeks before your contract expires
* Look at using greener electricity - energy suppliers are now supplying competitive rates for 'greener' users
* Use energy-saving lightbulbs - they use 75 per cent less electricity
* Lower the temperature - set the thermostat at 19 (DEGREES) when you have the heating on, and reduce it at busy times
* Don't put up with cold calls from energy suppliers - they are unlikely to offer you the best rates in the market.
Cutting bills by 10 per cent
Marston's lease the Bay Horse in Cherry Burton, East Yorkshire has cut its annual energy bill, formerly £20,000, by 10 per cent following advice from experts at npower business.
Licensee Karl Richardson: "What surprised me the most was that there are so many small things we can be doing that can really make a big difference.
"We don't have the time or the manpower to devote to making major changes, but having had the help to take a closer look at our energy usage and habits, we're now looking forward to reaping the rewards."
Simply cleaning the beer cellar condenser has brought estimated savings of £229 a year, while managing lighting in the toilets and on the gaming machines has saved an estimated £207.
A boiler service and the installation of room thermostats also led to immediate savings - poorly maintained boilers can use up to 35 per cent more energy.
The npower business experts also pinpointed refrigeration as a key area where the pub could save energy - by siting the pub's
ice-maker and drinks cooler away from the beer cellar, where they were dumping warm air into a refrigerated space, and by improving insulation around doors to the cellar and to a walk-in fridge.
