600 hospitality SMEs to receive free decarbonising advice

A new emissions cutting trial will take place across 600 small- and medium- sized hospitality businesses in a bid to see reduced energy bills and greener services.

The UK’s trial will see pubs, cafes and restaurants across the UK receive free energy and carbon reduction assessments, which will be funded and delivered by Zero Carbon Services, one of the UK’s leading net-zero advisors for the hospitality sector. In total, this could see the hospitality sector save £2 million bills and reduce 2,700 tonnes of carbon emissions.

The UK hospitality sector, largely made up of SMEs, supports 3.5 million jobs and contributes £93 billion to the UK economy. The scheme will support SMEs to make small improvements to save on energy bills, like fixing insulation gaps or upgrading to low energy lighting.

This follows a recent report from the Federation of Small Businesses that found that although 64 per cent of small businesses believe sustainability should be a high priority for the government, only 26 per cent of small businesses believe they have the right knowledge to transition their business to net zero.

Minister for industry Sarah Jones said: “Pubs, restaurants, and cafes are a cornerstone for communities across the country, with the hospitality sector employing millions of people and contributing billions to the economy.

“By providing business owners with expert advice to cut bills and reduce emissions, this will help them keep more money in their pockets to grow their business, employ local people and continue to serve your pint of larger or fish and chips.”