Peterborough pub landlord's Christmas wish to beat energy crisis

The landlord of one of the oldest pubs in Peterborough is hoping his traditional Christmas trade will power the business through the energy crisis.

Graham Finding, owner of the 185-year-old Ostrich Inn, in North Street, says he expects his £700 a month electricity bill tol soar by four times as much as global energy prices spiral.

He said: “My current fixed agreement comes to an end next month. I pay an average of £700 a month but the best quotes have come in at four times that amount.

“So I expect to be paying £2,000 to £3,000 extra a month, which in the short term we will have to manage.

“We are now coming to the busiest time of the year as we head to Christmas and I am confident the increased takings will see us through that period of time

And then I just hope that in three or four months the situation will look different.”

Mr Finding said he was doing everything possible to reduce electricity usage in the pub from using LED lighting to turning off fridges and freezers when possible.

He said: “But the biggest user of electricity is cellar cooling which has to be on 24 hours a day.

He added: “There really is very little we can do in terms of reducing electricity usage.

“The increased costs are so massive that we can’t pass them on to the customers - that would just lead to a reduction in trade, which could be the death of us.”

The dilemma facing the Ostrich pub is one shared by a growing number of businesses in Peterborough - especially in the hospitality business.

Award winning restaurateur Damian Wawrzyniak has just announced he is closing the House of Feasts in Eye Green, e to spiralling costs caused by the cost of living crisis.

And bosses of brewery Oakham Ales, in Maxwell Road, Woodston, have called on the new Conservative Party leader Liz Truss to take action to ease the impact of energy prices on employers.

Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce is hosting a two hour seminar next week with a panel of experts offering ‘practical solutions’ to help businesses to get through the crisis.