Cost of living crisis: New landlord of Darwen pub quoted £26K energy bill

Suzanne Halliwell is the new landlord of the Sunnyhurst Pub in Darwen and will officially be taking over on Friday, August 26.

Suzanne’s energy supplier Opus Energy, which is owned by the Drax Group, said the small business can expect to be paying between £21,600 and £26,000 annually; Suzanne hopes the community can rally behind the pub and support them as bills rise.

Suzanne Halliwell

Suzanne, from Darwen, said: “We’ve been absolutely stunned to see just how much the rise in energy costs will impact a small business like ours.

“Our quoted price is quadruple plus what the previous tenants were being charged.

“We really hope to keep the support of a very loyal clientele and keep them coming back for more.”

Suzanne, who also owns Dolly's Tearoom in Bolton Road, says the energy company has offered them the best deal possible, adding thay many small businesses could find themselves in a similar situation in the coming months.

She said: “This is a national problem that is impacting everyone and we are all waiting for the politicians to act.

“It’s something we just couldn’t have anticipated when we applied to take on the pub all these months ago.”

Despite the sky-high bills, Suzanne is optimistic about the future of the business and says the team will “have to get creative” in order to cover their bills.

She said: “We’re going to have to work very hard and be very creative with our events and ideas to make sure we can keep people coming to the Sunnyhurst and investing in us.

“We want to be a great part of the local community and we really hope people continue to support the pub, and ensure its future.

“Inevitably lots of people are worried about the cost of living crisis.

“However, we have a lot of things in our favour, such as our fabulous location in the middle of Darwen Moor with hundreds of walkers, runners, cyclists and of course golfers and tennis club members who all support the pub.”

A Drax Group spokesperson said: “The war in Ukraine has resulted in global energy prices rising significantly, and this is having a serious impact on energy bills for everyone.

“Previous price agreements for the Sunnyhurst Pub were at rates fixed several years ago before the recent upsurge in energy prices.

"As Mrs Halliwell is a new customer, we can only offer her a new contract based on current market prices.

"We understand the rise in energy prices is having an impact on businesses and are exploring ways in which we can further support them.”

According to MoneySuperMarket, the average energy price for a small business, such as the Sunnyhurst, was between £6,630-11,060 a year (based on average kWh of energy used).

However, these average figures are before the cost of living and energy crisis hit.

Nearly one in three businesses surveyed by the organisation said soaring gas prices are likely to stifle their investment in transitioning to net zero.

Meanwhile, 69 per cent of firms said they expect energy bills to rise in the next three months, and nearly a third expect rises of more than 30 per cent.

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said the Government needs to target support at the households and companies most in need.

New data from the Friends of the Earth Policy has revealed the UK’s energy crisis hotspots, including those in Lancashire.

They have identified the areas set to be worst-hit by the next rise in the energy price cap.

In East Lancashire, Rossendale has the highest percentage of energy crisis hotspot neighbourhoods (58.1 per cent), followed by Blackburn with Darwen (49.5 per cent), Burnley (45 per cent), Pendle (42.1 per cent), Hyndburn (26.9 per cent) and Ribble Valley (five per cent).

From October, the average energy bill for East Lancashire households is set to increase by around 45 per cent.

The Ribble Valley has the lowest percentage of energy crisis hotspot neighbourhoods in East Lancashire, but average energy prices are still predicted to rise to £2,983 from October; estimated bills are between £3,087 and £3,239 in all other East Lancashire boroughs.