01/09/26
2026 Heatwaves Cost UK Hospitality £95m a year in Extra Energy
New data from Zero Carbon Company shows heatwaves drove a 19% jump in energy use this summer across UK hospitality, costing sites an average additional £680 per month, with pubs hit hardest. Zero Carbon Company is calling on operators to see which of their sites are most affected, and why, so they can plan ahead of the next heatwave and get their energy costs down, rather than absorb the cost after it’s landed.
2026’s heatwaves cost UK hospitality £95m a year in extra energy, or £3.2m for every 'heatwave' day.
Operators with engaged operations teams and clear energy data are saving thousands of pounds per outlet.
A kitchen doesn’t stop for a heatwave. Neither does a fridge, an air conditioning unit, or a hotel room full of guests. In fact, they work harder. That’s the reality behind new figures from Zero Carbon Company, who work with food, drink and leisure businesses to reduce emissions, cut costs and build resilience.
Their data shows how heatwaves are now a measurable, growing cost for hospitality.
2026’s heatwaves cost UK hospitality £3.2m for every day a heatwave hit, or £95m a year based on the 30 heatwave days recorded so far in 2026. On average, each site was paying an additional £680 a month in additional energy with pubs hit hardest, restaurants least and QSR brands in between.
A multi-site pub group saw the steepest single-day cost of any company, an extra £48k a day in additional energy costs.
“Heatwaves aren’t a once-in-a-decade shock anymore; they’re becoming a predictable cost every summer, and doing nothing about it costs real money. Our Energy and Carbon Reduction Tool helped a pub in Bromley cut its overnight energy use by 26%, saving £48 a week and putting nearly £3,100 back on the bottom line every year. Knowing where your energy is being used can help avoid energy waste, particularly in heatwaves. That’s the kind of return operators can bank right now, whatever the weather does next,” said Mark Chapman, CEO, Zero Carbon Company.
Operators should plan for the new normal - heatwaves and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, making operational planning and cost management harder.
Zero Carbon Company, whose clients include Five Guys, Wagamama, Young’s, Cote, and Burger King, helps multi-site operators identify their exposure at a granular, site-by-site level using energy analytics, and achieve fast energy waste reductions with AI insights and behaviour change campaigns.
Meanwhile, the government-funded Energy and Carbon Reduction Tool gives independents and pub groups a more accessible route into their own energy and carbon data and the tools to make meaningful cuts.
Building that visibility now, rather than after the next heatwave hits, is the difference between managing the cost before it happens and absorbing it.
01/09/26
2026 Heatwaves Cost UK Hospitality £95m a year in Extra Energy
New data from Zero Carbon Company shows heatwaves drove a 19% jump in energy use this summer across UK hospitality, costing sites an average additional £680 per month, with pubs hit hardest. Zero Carbon Company is calling on operators to see which of their sites are most affected, and why, so they can plan ahead of the next heatwave and get their energy costs down, rather than absorb the cost after it’s landed.
2026’s heatwaves cost UK hospitality £95m a year in extra energy, or £3.2m for every 'heatwave' day.
Operators with engaged operations teams and clear energy data are saving thousands of pounds per outlet.
A kitchen doesn’t stop for a heatwave. Neither does a fridge, an air conditioning unit, or a hotel room full of guests. In fact, they work harder. That’s the reality behind new figures from Zero Carbon Company, who work with food, drink and leisure businesses to reduce emissions, cut costs and build resilience.
Their data shows how heatwaves are now a measurable, growing cost for hospitality.
2026’s heatwaves cost UK hospitality £3.2m for every day a heatwave hit, or £95m a year based on the 30 heatwave days recorded so far in 2026. On average, each site was paying an additional £680 a month in additional energy with pubs hit hardest, restaurants least and QSR brands in between.
A multi-site pub group saw the steepest single-day cost of any company, an extra £48k a day in additional energy costs.
“Heatwaves aren’t a once-in-a-decade shock anymore; they’re becoming a predictable cost every summer, and doing nothing about it costs real money. Our Energy and Carbon Reduction Tool helped a pub in Bromley cut its overnight energy use by 26%, saving £48 a week and putting nearly £3,100 back on the bottom line every year. Knowing where your energy is being used can help avoid energy waste, particularly in heatwaves. That’s the kind of return operators can bank right now, whatever the weather does next,” said Mark Chapman, CEO, Zero Carbon Company.
Operators should plan for the new normal - heatwaves and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, making operational planning and cost management harder.
Zero Carbon Company, whose clients include Five Guys, Wagamama, Young’s, Cote, and Burger King, helps multi-site operators identify their exposure at a granular, site-by-site level using energy analytics, and achieve fast energy waste reductions with AI insights and behaviour change campaigns.
Meanwhile, the government-funded Energy and Carbon Reduction Tool gives independents and pub groups a more accessible route into their own energy and carbon data and the tools to make meaningful cuts.
Building that visibility now, rather than after the next heatwave hits, is the difference between managing the cost before it happens and absorbing it.