Business Energy for Pubs & Bars
Pubs and bars carry an unusual energy profile: a cellar that must stay cold all year, a trading day that runs late into the evening, and demand that swings with the weather and the sporting calendar. We help licensees review their gas and electricity contracts and compare the options open to them.
Business energy for pubs & bars
In a pub, the cellar is the piece of equipment that never turns off. Cooling beer to the right temperature, and keeping python lines chilled from cellar to bar, produces a continuous load that runs through the night and through closed days. Add late-evening lighting, glasswashing, kitchen equipment where food is served, and heating in a building that is often old and hard to insulate, and you have a site where the energy contract is a genuine line item rather than an afterthought.
Cellar cooling
Cellar refrigeration runs continuously and works harder in warm weather, exactly when trade is busiest.
Draught dispense and python cooling
Remote coolers and chilled beer lines keep drawing power for as long as the system is live.
Bar refrigeration
Bottle coolers, ice machines and back-bar fridges run through the day and typically stay on overnight.
Late-hours lighting and AV
Bar and garden lighting, screens for live sport, sound systems and gaming machines extend consumption well past the evening peak.
Heating an older building
Many licensed premises occupy older, high-ceilinged buildings where heating demand in winter is significant.
Kitchen, where food is served
A food-led pub carries the same cooking, extraction and warewashing loads as a restaurant on top of the wet-led equipment.
Electricity and gas requirements
How pubs & bars use electricity
- Cellar cooling, remote coolers and python line chilling
- Bottle coolers, ice machines and back-bar refrigeration
- Glasswashers and dishwashers
- Bar, garden and car park lighting, often on late into the night
- Screens, sound systems, gaming machines and Wi-Fi
- Air conditioning in the bar during busy periods
Where gas is typically used
- Space heating across the bar, function rooms and letting rooms where applicable
- Hot water for washing up and washrooms
- Kitchen cooking equipment in food-led pubs
Common energy challenges in this sector
A load that runs when the pub is closed
Cellar cooling and bar refrigeration continue overnight and on closed days, so there is a substantial base load regardless of trade.
Weather-driven demand
Hot spells increase cooling load and cold snaps increase heating load, making consumption harder to budget for.
Tenancy and lease arrangements
Tied and leased houses vary in who holds the supply contract. Establishing that first avoids wasted time at renewal.
Older, less efficient buildings
Listed or period premises limit what can be done physically, which puts more weight on getting the contract right.
Seasonal trading peaks
Christmas, summer and major sporting events concentrate demand into short, intense periods.
How Switching Made Simple can help
We are an independent UK business energy broker. For a pub or bar that means a straightforward review of where you are now and a clear picture of what is available when your contract comes up for renewal.
- Review your current energy arrangements, meters and contract end dates
- Explain your renewal options and the timescales involved
- Compare available business gas and electricity contracts across our supplier panel
- Present the options in writing so you can see the terms, not just a headline rate
- Handle the paperwork and manage the transfer once you decide how to proceed
Why review your business energy contract?
Licensed premises are a common target for renewal offers made under pressure. Knowing your end date, your annual consumption and what the wider market looks like puts you in a much stronger position when that call comes.
If a business energy contract is left to lapse, the supply usually moves on to out-of-contract or deemed rates, which are set by the supplier rather than negotiated. Reviewing before your end date keeps the decision with you — including the choice of term length and contract structure.
How it works
- 1
Tell us about your pub or bar — your premises, meters and how you operate.
- 2
We review your current energy arrangements, including your contract end dates.
- 3
We compare suitable business gas and electricity options and set them out clearly.
- 4
You choose how you would like to proceed, and we handle the paperwork.
Not sure when your contract ends?
Send us a recent bill and we will confirm your end date, your current terms and what the market looks like for a pub or bar like yours.
Pubs & Bars energy questions
Related services
Read more about our business gas and electricity service, our step-by-step guide to switching business energy supplier, or explore renewable energy contracts. You can also browse every industry we work with on our business sectors page.
Ready to review your business energy?
Tell us about your pub or bar and we will review your current arrangements and compare the options available — with no obligation to proceed.