UK Expands Free Energy Tool to 525+ Hospitality Venues

The UK government has announced that more than 525 pubs, restaurants, and hotels across England will soon gain free access to a digital tool aimed at cutting energy costs and carbon emissions, building on a successful trial that delivered average annual savings of nearly 2,500 per business.

The initiative, backed by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and delivered by Zero Carbon Services with 350,000 in government funding, extends a year-long pilot program that supported 90 hospitality venues. The online platform provides tailored behavioral change plans and real-time alerts to identify and reduce wasteful electricity use from hotspots such as refrigeration units, ovens, extraction systems, and lighting. During the trial, participants achieved significant reductions, including cuts in overnight energy consumption of up to 66 percent in some cases.

For instance, a pub in Bromley reduced its overall energy usage by 26 percent, saving 48 per week and preserving about 2,500 in annual profit that would otherwise have been lost to inefficiency. A smaller pub in Caterham, Surrey, saw even sharper results, with overnight energy dropping by two-thirds and yielding savings...