Why Building Maintenance Cuts Energy Bills in Pubs, Restaurants & Hotels

Most conversations about cutting energy costs in hospitality focus on equipment. More efficient ovens. Smarter thermostats. Better chillers.

But the building itself has a bigger impact than many operators realise. A pub with a poorly maintained roof, drafty doors and single-glazed windows will always cost more to heat than one where the basics are in good condition. No amount of clever technology fixes a building that leaks heat.

If you're a facilities manager or property director looking after multiple venues across central London, Surrey or the Home Counties, this is worth paying attention to. Building condition is one of the biggest factors you can control - and unlike a full equipment upgrade, most of it comes down to regular maintenance rather than major capital spend.

Where heat escapes

Heat loss in commercial buildings follows predictable patterns. The Energy Saving Trust estimates that up to 25% of heat escapes through the roof in a poorly insulated building. Walls, windows and doors account for most of the rest.

Hospitality venues make this worse. Every time a customer opens the front door, heated air walks out with them. Busy kitchens pump out heat that fights against the cooling system. And older buildings with original windows and minimal insulation work against you before you even switch the heating on.

The boiler compensates by running longer and working harder. That shows up on every utility bill, month after month.

Roofs

Flat roofs are common on pub extensions, restaurant kitchens and hotel service areas. They're also where problems tend to go unnoticed until something fails.

Damaged membranes let water in, which degrades insulation over time. Blocked gutters cause water to pool, adding weight and accelerating wear. Gaps around penetrations and flashings let warm air escape from below.

Regular roof inspections and repairs catch these issues early. Clearing gutters, resealing flashings and addressing minor damage before it spreads keeps everything performing as it should. And when repairs are needed, there's often a good opportunity to improve insulation at the same time.

We recently completed roof repairs at a Worthing pub where water had been getting in around the flashing for months. Sorting the immediate problem also meant replacing the insulation beneath, which damp had completely compromised. One repair, two wins.

Windows & doors

Single glazing is still surprisingly common in older hospitality buildings, particularly listed properties where replacement isn't straightforward. Heat passes through single-glazed windows far more easily than double or secondary glazing.

Where full replacement isn't an option, secondary glazing offers a practical alternative. Even heavy curtains make a noticeable difference during evening service in winter - a simple change that costs very little.

Doors present a different challenge. In a busy venue, external doors open constantly. Self-closing mechanisms stop them staying open longer than necessary. Air curtains at main entrances reduce heat loss without slowing customer flow. And basic draft-proofing around frames stops the constant trickle of cold air that builds up over a shift.

Fire doors need particular attention here. They must close properly for safety, but worn seals and dropped hinges also create gaps that let heated or cooled air escape. Keeping fire doors in good working order covers both safety and energy efficiency.

Building fabric

Over time, gaps and cracks appear around window frames, where pipes and cables pass through walls, and where different building materials meet. Each one bleeds a small but constant amount of heat.

Repointing brickwork, sealing gaps and addressing cracks in render all help reduce this. These aren't glamorous jobs, but they make a difference to how hard your heating system has to work.

Older pub buildings often have solid walls, which offer minimal insulation by modern standards. Internal or external wall insulation may be worth considering depending on the building and any heritage constraints. But even addressing air leaks alone brings a noticeable improvement in how well the building holds heat.

We carried out structural wall repairs at a Surrey pub where cracking had developed over several years. Beyond the structural concern, those gaps had been quietly letting heat escape every winter since they first appeared.

Electrical systems & lighting

Faulty electrics don't only create safety risks. Deteriorating wiring, loose connections and unbalanced loads all generate waste heat - energy that isn't doing any useful work.

Periodic electrical testing picks up these problems before they become serious. For hospitality venues, testing intervals depend on the type of premises and how heavily the electrical systems are used. Regular inspection is both a compliance requirement and a practical way to cut unnecessary energy waste.

Lighting upgrades deliver more obvious savings. LED lighting uses 75–80% less energy than traditional bulbs and lasts significantly longer. For venues with back-of-house areas, cellars and kitchens still running older fittings, the payback on LED replacement is typically two to three years. It's one of the quickest wins available.

Why planned maintenance makes such a difference

A roof leak that becomes obvious in February probably started as a minor issue the previous autumn. The heat lost through damaged insulation during those months never appears as a repair cost, but it inflates every utility bill in between.

Planned maintenance catches problems while they're still small. A technician checking the roof will spot flashings that are lifting or gutters that are blocking. An electrician testing circuits will identify connections starting to deteriorate. Addressing these early saves both the repair bill and the energy wasted while the building quietly underperforms.

It's also far less disruptive for your venues. A scheduled visit during quiet hours is always easier to manage than an emergency call-out on a Friday night.

Looking after energy costs across multiple sites

If you're running several venues, you'll know that buildings of similar size and type should have broadly similar energy costs. When one venue's bills run notably higher than comparable sites, that usually points to a maintenance issue worth looking into - a roof problem, poor door seals or electrical faults that aren't immediately obvious.

Having consistent maintenance standards across all your venues makes a measurable difference to overall energy spend. And regular reporting on completed work and flagged issues helps your property team stay on top of things without needing to chase every detail at every site.

Where to start

If you're reviewing maintenance arrangements for your hospitality sites, a few things will help you identify where improvements will have the most impact.

Start by looking at when roofs were last inspected, and whether there are any known issues with water getting in or insulation condition. Check that external doors close properly, with intact seals and functioning self-closers. Review when electrical testing was last completed and whether any flagged issues remain unresolved. And compare energy costs across similar venues to spot any outliers that might point to building fabric problems.

A maintenance audit can highlight gaps in your current arrangements and help you set clear priorities for the year ahead. It's a straightforward way to get a full picture of where you stand.

Medlec Group provides planned and reactive building maintenance for hospitality venues across central London and the Home Counties. We work with Mitchells & Butlers, Everyman Cinema and hospitality groups throughout Surrey and South London - covering roofing, electrical work, doors and fire doors, structural repairs and general building upkeep, with 24-hour emergency response when you need it.

If you'd like to talk about maintenance for your venues, give us a call on 0333 344 5949 or send us a message. We're always happy to help.