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Is there any sorrier a sight in contemporary Britain than a sign outside a pub that reads ‘Pub Business For Sale’. These days they seem to hang there more frequently than the welcome signs denoting ‘The Red Lion’ or ‘The Dog and Duck’. If you feel pubs are closing all over the place at the moment… then you are absolutely right. At the rate of 31 a week. And that is a crippling blow, especially for communities where the pub can form the focus of community life. In the suburbs, 3% of pubs have closed in the last six months alone. When they reopen as a local supermarket, it’s even more painful, now selling low-cost alcohol to imbibers who would rather stay home and watch X-Factor than get out into the community and support our great public houses. There are now around 55,000 pubs left in the country. Granted, if you tried to nail that as a pub crawl it would take you a while, but spread across the length and breadth of our country, it’s spread rather thin. But now let’s turn that on its head. We’ve had the bad news, and the grim stats… what about a consideration for the positive side of the equation? Well, scientists have recently conducted a study into the worth of pubs, specifically to the rural communities they serve. And that process took a year and a half, which that adds up to the kind of out-in-the-field research I would gladly do myself. The net conclusion is that a rural pub is worth around £100,000 to its local community. These benefits include providing a place for people to meet, to mix and socialise. For some people social life does not equate to social media but to the actual physical interaction with other human beings, and throughout the ages pubs have provided just such a perfect environment for such imbibing and socialising. Prime Minister David Cameron talks of the Big Society. It’s hard to see past the pub for where such a big society might congregate, drawing communities together, under one roof.

Reducing pub energy bills

Beyond social benefits there are also very real economic benefits. Pubs are where business is done, whether that’s organising work or, in a rural environment, sourcing, selling and cooking local produce. Pubs serve communities just as post offices have done, and we have already seen what happens when villages lose their post office. It’s the same deal with pubs, and we cannot afford to lose another strand in the fabric of British life. Of course we must also appreciate that pubs are battling with high taxes on the one hand, and cheap supermarket alcohol on the other, both which are also threatening many businesses in a pincer movement. But there are steps pubs can take to fight back. As well as doing whatever can be done to present an attractive offer to draw the punters in, pub operators might also look at their bottom line, to see where they might carve away savings, just like chef with the Sunday carvery. Using a company like Utility Helpline to source the right possible business energy deal will certainly help a pub save every last possible penny on their energy bills. We all know from our own homes how crippling energy bills have become; there’s no point spending any more than you have to. Beyond the bills themselves, how about the energy efficiency of the pub itself? Pubs can be large spaces that need heating, as well as running kitchens that drain fuel. Utility Helpline can also work with a pub business to arrange an energy audit. This will look at the way the pub uses – and perhaps wastes – energy, then advise on steps that might be taken to improve the efficiency of the business. Again, this will all help the bottom line, and help a pub redirect financial resources to where they’re really needed… providing the punters with a pleasurable experience and one they can share with others in their community. And that means the true cost of a pint… is around about £100,000.