A Cardiff pub has resorted to using candles and Christmas decorations instead of turning on the lights after a hike in energy bill costs. The Railway Hotel in Llandaff North has returned to more traditional methods of keeping the building lit up to try and save money during the cost of living crisis - and has received a welcome response from customers.
Samantha Birks, who runs the Station Road pub with Ian Liddle, says they made the change away from overhead lights at the start of the month after being "railroaded" into signing a new more expensive electricity contract in September. They have also been forced to turn off the outside lights, which the 39-year-old worries will affect trade - although they have kept the Christmas trees and lights on in the windows to entice people in.
Instead of paying a day rate of 16.5p KWh and night rate of 11.6p/kWh, Samantha says the best price her energy company could offer her was 51p per kilowatt day and night, with no other companies taking on new customers. Even taking into account the government's Energy Bill Relief Scheme for business support, it leaves her with a cost of 21p/kWh until it runs out in March 31, 2023, the Cardiffian reports.
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It comes at the same time that costs from suppliers have already risen, which means the business has had to up the price of beer and food. Samatha said: "Now, from our point of view, we literally can’t do anything about it other than switch off the lights. So as of that point we just kept all the lights off apart from what was absolutely necessary. So, the emergency lights in the corridor, the toilets, front of the bar.
“We even brought in candles. We never used to have candles on the tables. So, on every table now we’ve got candles so that’s light and warmth. And if anything, it’s quite cosy. People do like it so it’s quite a positive change for a negative reason.”
The landlord added that after looking at the wattage of Christmas lights compared to overhead bulbs, she realised it made more sense to light the pub by alternative means. She said: "As soon as December 1 came, we put the Christmas lights up and I checked the plugs on the Christmas lights and they are 12W. So all those lights, as far as I’m aware, that is a 12W output and bulbs are, what, 60W usually. I’m sure they differ here and there.
“It made more sense to have Christmas trees on in either room and then the lights in the windows to let people know that we’re open.” She added: “We even kept off the outside lights because there’s loads of lights round the building because we were worried about the impact of cost. Obviously, that’s detrimental to the business because people can’t see that we’re open and it looks so dark.”
The pub now fears for January, when footfall is much quieter after the Christmas rush. Speaking about the costs of running a pub during the cost of living crisis, Samantha added: “The price of everything’s gone up. Staff wages go up again in April, the cost of all our supplies has gone up. There is literally nothing that has stayed the same price. Everything’s gone up.
“Beer prices go up twice a year anyway but we’ve had to push them up to the maximum that we can push them up to, and the same with the food as well. The food’s gone up slightly.
"No-one’s actually commented so customers are still happy to pay that kind of price but obviously if people aren’t coming out as much because they haven’t got as much money then that’s impacting it as well.”
“We’ve noticed that people are still coming in but they are coming in less. People you would see maybe three, four times a week just for a drink or for food, you’re maybe seeing them once a week, maybe twice a week. So that’s quite different.”
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