The owner of a fish and chip shop has told how she works in the dark whenever she can to try and save cash - after the electricity bill went from £150 to £1,000. Amy Anemoni only took over the Whieldon Fish Bar in Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent a month ago but was a staff member at the popular takeaway for more than a year - so has seen the devastating effects of the cost-of-living crisis first-hand.
This time last year, the chippy's electricity bill was a manageable £150, but with no energy price cap for businesses, it has rocketed to £1,000. Meanwhile, the restaurant's gas bill this time last year was £36.40, before going up to £45.88 in April this year - before hitting £386.40 recently, StokeonTrentLive reports.
But it's not just the price of utility bills that are causing problems within the food industry. Inflation - the rate at which prices of items rise - increased to 10.1 per cent last month, returning to a 40-year high, and affecting the price of food and non-alcoholic drinks, which has forced Amy, 28, to make difficult decisions.
The business owner said she has been turning off the lights whenever she can and has become used to working in the dark, but she cannot allow her staff members to work in those conditions. Despite the worrying situation, Amy is not keen to increase the prices of the food she offers because she knows families everywhere are struggling.
Meal specials at the chippy start at just £3.25, with Amy also offering 10 per cent off any orders over £10. She is also hoping to add some more unusual items to the menu, including pizza with chips or nuggets on top.
Amy said: "The customers say our food is cheap, and they also like that we use cod rather than sea bass or something else. People have said the chips are good now compared to previously. Fish and chips is our biggest seller."
She added: “We are turning off the lights whenever we’re not using them. I’m used to it so I can go there but if I have any staff I can’t let them work without the light.”
