As the UK is bracing for a tough winter amid the energy crisis certain business sectors fear that they might have to cut staff or even close to deal with soaring prices.

A new survey of 300 UK business leaders carried out by research company Censuswide on behalf of eEnergy shows that one-in-four hospitality and leisure businesses fear closing this year.

More than 90% of business leaders surveyed said they did not expect energy prices to return to last year’s levels within the next 12 months. In response, 83% said they either had or were considering making redundancies or reducing staff hours to cope with rising prices.

Almost 94% of businesses also report that they waste more than a fifth of their energy each year.

Harvey Sinclair, Chief Executive Officer of eEnergy, said: “The hospitality and leisure sector has been played a terrible hand over the past two years. Sky-high energy prices have heaped pressure on businesses still reeling from Covid. With many business owners considering redundancies or even closure, solutions are needed now, but we do not need to wait for government intervention.”

“Government grants to finance energy saving solutions only have a 5-10% conversion rate and for most it takes six to 12 months to get a decision, causing further delays and burning more cash – and carbon.

“We believe the answer is simple: cutting energy waste and carbon should be as accessible as any subscription service, without upfront costs.”