The energy squeeze: why hospitality must act now to reclaim control

Rising costs, staff shortages, and shifting consumer expectations have already pushed the hospitality sector to its limits, but energy remains its biggest blind spot.

According to EY’s latest Business Barometer, three in five UK businesses say rising energy costs are threatening their growth. For the hospitality sector, already navigating staffing pressures, inflation, and VAT changes, this challenge is only intensifying.

Paying for what you don’t use

The reality is that many businesses are still paying for energy they never actually used, from equipment running overnight to heating and cooling systems clashing during off-peak hours.

The good news? Every one of those inefficiencies is avoidable, once you can see them.

Seeing the problem before it costs you

Most hotels, restaurants, and venues already have smart meters. The issue isn’t collecting data, it’s understanding it. Having raw meter data without interpretation is like driving a car with a dashboard but no indicators: the information is there, but it’s useless for steering.

With independent energy monitoring, that data becomes actionable. You can spot spikes, out-of-hours waste, and inefficiencies that are quietly inflating your bills, often without disrupting daily operations.

Take The Allingham Arms Hotel, in the Republic of Ireland, for example. By analysing their energy data and pinpointing where the biggest impact could be made, management reduced annual energy consumption by nearly £52,000, simply through smarter scheduling and equipment optimisation. No major investment. No guesswork. Just visibility and insight.

You can’t cut what you can’t see

Energy costs in hospitality are rarely stable, they fluctuate daily, even hourly. Yet many operators only discover problems after the bill arrives. That delay can mean thousands lost each year.

The businesses that thrive in this environment are those who can see, understand, and react in real time. They know when to shift usage, how to prevent overspending, and where to target improvements for the best return.

Turning data into daily decisions

Energy control isn’t just a sustainability goal, it’s a financial strategy.

With the right visibility, most hospitality businesses can reduce energy spend by 10–20% annually, simply by managing consumption smarter. And that’s before any upgrades or renewables are added.

Visibility first. Investment second. That’s how you make every pound count.

The bottom line

The hospitality sector has weathered every challenge thrown its way. But as costs continue to climb, energy is one area where control is possible, immediate, and measurable.

Because you can’t manage what you can’t measure, and you can’t afford to keep paying for what you didn’t use.