Soaring energy bills final straw for struggling pubs, Scots industry chiefs warn

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Scotland's pubs are in a fight for survival because of soaring power bills, industry chiefs have warned. Paul Waterson, honorary president of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA), said that utility bills which are “outrageous compared to other European countries” are driving people out of business.

He added: “People think it is small operators that are at risk but many of our members have multiple pubs around the country and are barely clinging on. “Energy prices are tearing the hospitality sector apart.”Waterson was responding to a warning from energy consultant Connor Wilson, who says power firms are profiteering on the back of the current crisis.

Wilson, who represents about 100 small businesses – the majority of them pubs – says he gets at least one call a week from a client in tears as they know “it’s all over”.

He fears the public is being misled about the energy crisis and is angry that despite the wholesale price of electricity coming down by more than half since its peak in August, prices keep rising.