Why Have My Café Energy Bills Gone Up? A Small Business Owner’s Story
For café owner Rohan Gupta, rising energy bills are becoming harder to ignore.
Rohan runs a busy independent café in Stockport with 10 employees. Coffee machines, refrigeration, ovens, dishwashers, extraction, heating and lighting all contribute to the café’s small business energy use throughout the day.
At the same time, wages, food, stock and supplier costs are putting pressure on margins.
Rohan can see that his energy bills have increased. What he can’t immediately see is why.
Is the café using more energy? Have commercial energy prices changed? Or is his existing tariff simply no longer competitive?
The problem: a higher bill doesn’t explain what changed
Rohan knows his energy bills are eating further into already tight café margins. What he doesn’t know is the cause.
It could be increased consumption after a busier trading period and longer opening hours. But it could also come from higher unit rates, standing charges or an energy tariff that no longer offers good value.
That makes the bill difficult for Rohan to interpret. He knows what the café is paying, but he doesn’t have the knowledge to separate changes in energy use from changes in price or judge whether his current contract is competitive. He means to look into this, but there’s always something else taking up his time.
Until he understands what is driving the increase, he can’t know what action will actually make a difference. Meanwhile, energy continues to take a bigger bite out of the profit he makes from every coffee, breakfast and lunch he sells.
Fortunately, Business Utility Hub are just one phone call away.
Business Utility Hub helps Rohan get to the bottom of his energy costs
One phone call and Rohan is speaking to an energy market specialist at BUH.
We start with the energy position Rohan already has rather than immediately assuming the answer is to switch suppliers.
We help him separate two important questions: how much energy is the café using, and how much is it paying for that energy?
That means looking at whether consumption has changed, reviewing the rates and charges on the current contract and carrying out a business energy tariff comparison against suitable options in the wider market.
If the existing tariff no longer looks competitive, we will suggest that Rohan allows us to negotiate with a panel of Ofgem-regulated suppliers on his behalf. We don’t charge for this service, and are transparent about our fee structure.
We will then come back to Rohan with a shortlist of competitive energy contracts that are suitable for his business and offer the market’s current best rates.
Rohan doesn’t have to work through different supplier terminology on his own. His dedicated account manager at BUH will talk him through the options, answer questions and help him understand what each contract would mean for the café.
If he chooses to switch, BUH will manage the process from start to finish.
What does knowing the cause change for Rohan?
Rohan now has something more useful than a higher bill: context.
He can understand whether the increase is linked mainly to the amount of energy the café is using, the rates it is paying or a combination of both.
That gives him a clearer idea of what he can actually do next.
If usage has risen, he can look at what has changed in the café. If the tariff is the issue, a small business energy comparison can show him what other options are available.
For Rohan, that means less time poring over bills after closing and more confidence that a major café running cost is being properly understood.
What can other café owners learn from Rohan’s situation?
If your café energy bills have increased, don’t assume there is only one possible cause.
You should:
- Compare recent energy use with earlier bills.
- Check whether your unit rates or standing charges have changed.
- Find out when your current business energy contract ends.
- Compare your existing tariff with current small business energy deals.
- Get in touch with BUH if you are unsure what is driving the increase.
Understanding the cause makes it easier to decide what action is worth taking.
Find out what’s driving your café energy costs
Rising energy bills can put further pressure on already tight hospitality margins.
Business Utility Hub specialises in business gas and electricity. We monitor energy prices daily, compare suitable small business energy contracts and explain the options clearly.
There’s no obligation to switch. If you do choose a new contract, we manage the switching process from start to finish.
Speak to a business energy specialist about a small business energy quote today.
