Following its recognition as Energy Consultancy of the Year – Large Customers, Hospitality Interiors spoke with Advantage Utilities to understand how the consultancy is helping some of the UK’s leading hotels and hospitality businesses uncover significant energy savings.
For hotels, restaurants and hospitality operators, energy remains one of the largest and most challenging operational expenses. Many businesses have already negotiated competitive contracts, invested in energy efficiency and sought advice from energy brokers.
But does that mean they’ve exhausted every opportunity to reduce their energy costs?
According to Advantage Utilities, the answer is often no.
How Hotels Are Finding Energy Savings Others Have Overlooked
One recent example involved a leading UK hotel group that believed it had already done everything possible to reduce its energy expenditure.
Having previously worked with other energy brokers, the group was not expecting to uncover significant additional savings.
However, Advantage Utilities identified an innovative approach that delivered initial energy savings of 9.4% at one hotel, with ongoing monitoring showing savings of approximately 8%.
Following this success, the consultancy identified further opportunities across five additional properties, representing over £51,000 in potential annual savings, with estimated payback periods as short as 15 months.
The results highlight an important distinction between securing a competitive energy contract and implementing a wider hotel energy management strategy to reduce overall expenditure.
Grantley Hall: Over £500,000 Saved in Hotel Energy Costs
The consultancy’s work with five-star luxury hotel Grantley Hall provides another example of what a wider energy strategy can achieve.
Working closely with the hotel, Advantage Utilities developed a tailored approach to managing energy expenditure, combining specialist market knowledge, emerging technologies and ongoing energy management.
The result was a reported 33% reduction in energy costs, delivering over £500,000 in savings during the first two years.
Importantly, these savings were achieved while maintaining the standards and guest experience expected of a luxury hospitality destination.
Over £50,000 in Potential Energy Savings for the Tom Kerridge Group
Advantage Utilities has also worked with the Tom Kerridge Group, which operates several well-known hospitality venues, including the Michelin-starred Hand & Flowers.
Following a review of energy consumption across the group’s properties, the consultancy identified over £50,000 in potential first-year savings.
Several opportunities required little or no additional investment, demonstrating that substantial reductions in energy expenditure do not always depend on expensive infrastructure or major operational changes.
For hospitality operators managing multiple locations, these opportunities can represent significant savings across an entire portfolio.
What Makes a Specialist Hospitality Energy Consultancy Different?
Traditional energy brokers typically focus on securing competitive electricity and gas contracts at the time of instruction. While energy procurement remains important, Advantage Utilities believes this is only part of the picture.
The consultancy combines specialist energy market timing and expertise with knowledge of advanced technologies, evolving regulations and emerging cost-reduction opportunities.
This broader approach enables its specialists to investigate areas of energy expenditure that businesses may never have considered, even when they already have an established energy supplier or broker.
For the hospitality industry, where maintaining comfort, service and operational standards is essential, the ability to reduce costs without compromising the guest experience is particularly valuable.
Could Your Hospitality Business Be Missing Out on Energy Savings?
The examples from Grantley Hall, the Tom Kerridge Group and a leading UK hotel group demonstrate that significant opportunities can remain even after businesses believe they’ve done everything possible to reduce their energy costs.
With energy markets continuing to evolve and new technologies creating opportunities for greater efficiency, the value of specialist advice extends well beyond negotiating the next contract.
The question for hospitality operators isn’t whether they’ve secured a competitive energy contract, but whether they’ve explored every opportunity to reduce their costs.
Find out what Advantage Utilities could uncover for your business.
