Smart meters rolled out to 1/3 of Star pubs

How-Star-Pubs-Bars-is-combating-energy-prices-at-its-pubs.jpg
Energy focus: Mark McDonald says smart meters have proved to be valuable in cutting costs

Star Pubs & Bars is installing gas and electricity smart meters at a third of its pubs to help reduce their energy consumption as utility costs soar and Government help is set to be vastly reduced withdrawn.

According to Heineken’s pub arm, the programme means all pubs buying energy through its Star Energy scheme will have the meters by the end of April 2023.

Some 765 pubs are set to receive the meters that will enable them to better understand their consumption patterns and reduce their energy usage.

From trials in its Just Add Talent (JAT) managed operator pubs, Star expects licensees to be able to slash their energy use by at least 10% as a result of having a smart meter.

Monitoring initiative

Under the initiative, Star has also appointed energy experts to analyse usage data from the smart meters and is sending specialist surveyors to 20 of its JAT pubs to monitor how they consume energy.

Based on the findings, all licensees participating in Star’s energy scheme will receive bespoke recommendations on how to best cut their energy usage, taking into account the type of pub they run and the style of their building.

In addition, generic guidance on the most effective ways of reducing pubs’ energy bills will be drawn up and shared with those Star pubs not on the company’s energy scheme.

The Morning Advertiser reported help on energy bills for businesses is set to be reduced recently.

Vital tool

Star Pubs & Bars head of pub services Mark MacDonald said: “We’re committed to doing all we can support to licensees in reducing their overheads.

“Our pilots have proved smart meters are a vital tool in cutting energy costs, allowing licensees to see how much gas and electricity they’re using at different times of day and eradicate unnecessary consumption. With energy bills at record levels, the minimum 10% saving is substantial for licensees.”

Star Energy is a partnership scheme between the pub operator and Inspired Energy through which it bulk buys energy on behalf of licensees who wish to participate.