4,600 hospitality firms shut their doors for good as energy bills soar

A staggering 12 hospitality venues have closed each day in Britain since last March due to rising energy bills according to the latest hospitality market monitor from industry experts at CGA by NIQ and AlixPartners. Overall, high inflation combined with the cost of living crisis has resulted in the closure of almost 4,600 hospitality venues in the past year, with licensed restaurants suffering the most damage, shrinking by 7.8% over the year. This has spurred trade bodies representing pubs and hospitality businesses to call for urgent government intervention, with little response. For businesses unsure where to begin saving money on their energy bills, SaveMoneyCutCarbon (SMCC) – the UK’s leading sustainability corporate consultants – has launched a first-of-its-kind manifesto for businesses, introducing a six-step plan to achieve lower energy bills and deliver tangible results – while empowering small businesses on the path to net zero.

Research from Accenture found that 93% of businesses that signed up to net zero targets will not reach their goals if they do not double the pace of their emission reduction by 2030. With a staggering 87% of British SMEs unaware of their carbon impact, SMCC helps customers to implement the correct green infrastructure to ensure that their entire business model reflects their goals from end-to-end. This comes as their landmark research shows that 14% of the public say they no longer purchase from brands that claim to be sustainable because of greenwashing. In a feat to combat the rapidly growing trend of greenwashing, SMCC share their six steps to employ sustainable practice from the physical work environment down to employee behaviour, starting with a free 30-minute Carbon Mentor call offering expert guidance on where to start, what ROI to expect, how to manage budgets and what could be achieved through green initiatives.

Carbon Mentor call – a business will be assigned a dedicated Carbon Mentor to understand the present situation within a business and their decarbonisation ambitions
Baseline report – from the call, SMCC’s platform creates an easy-to-understand Scope 1, Scope 2 baseline carbon footprint and guidance on Scope 3 and Scope 4 (staff carbon literacy)
Built Environment Audit – SMCC’s team then audit the building(s) to identify the money, energy, water, and carbon savings available
Project Financing – Creation of investment grade proposals & tailored finance
Project Delivery – Design, supply & installation of proven products and solutions
Staff Engagement – SMCC’s EcoWise app & programme provides measured and rewarded learning improving carbon literacy