RIP pijanica: 3 od 4 britanska paba možda neće preživjeti ovu zimu

With energy costs most likely continuing to rise later in the year, more that 70 percent of British pubs say they will have to close their doors permanently unless the UK government intercedes.

According to the latest industry survey, almost three out of four UK taverns expect to go bust this winter, primarily due to the record-high energy prices.

Over 65 percent of survey participants said they have seen their utility costs more than double.

Another 30% of baar owners said their bills went up 200% while 8% reported seeing an increase of a staggering 500%.

Almost four in five pub owners said they had no way to keep up with the costs.

The anguished pub operators are now calling on the country’s government to intervene and rescued them from the brink of extinction.

According to the innkeepers, prompt support and intervention by the government is overdue, with “even a 20% increase (in energy costs) being unaffordable, never mind 200%.”

British pub owners have also blasted the ‘ridiculous’ situation they are currently in, noting that it’s even worse than ‘COVID times.’

Some barkeeps are calling for the government to reduce VAT and business rates while others propose introducing a cap on energy prices for businesses.

The ongoing energy crisis in UK is now being described as an “extinction event” for hospitality and that unless the government acts quickly, Britain could see thousands of pubovi, restaurants, and breweries shut their doors forever.

According to the pub owners, this is a doomsday scenario now. To see the business secretary trying to put consumers’ minds at rest saying that help is coming is great, but perhaps his focus should be on the businesses on the brink of closure, business owners say.

While many bar operators are facing price hikes on energy, some are having difficulties getting any sort of deals from the power companies at all. 

Some pub owners aren’t even being offered new energy contracts at any price due to the sector/operation being deemed ‘high risk’. So, they cannot get power even if they can afford it, the sector’s representatives said.