Britain's catering sector should take control of energy costs by cutting waste and shopping around for better deals to recude it's £1.3 billion annual spend on energy, according to Energy Advice Line.
A survey of 150 restaurant owners, managers and chefs carried out by Big Six energy supplier E.ON showed energy worries came second only to staff issues, yet three-quarters admitted they didn't know how to reduce their energy consumption.
The research revealed that despite more than 80% of restaurateurs saying they considered sustainability when making business decisions, 75% said they do not have the tools and knowledge to make changes. Energy costs make up almost a quarter of overheads for the restaurant and catering industry, with an estimated 10% of this lost on wastage.
"The findings must be a major concern for the catering industry, which is one of the most energy-intensive sectors in the UK," said Julian Morgan, managing director of the Energy Advice Line, the UK's leading price comparison and switching service for consumers.
"It's estimated that reducing energy use by 25% across the industry could result in savings of £325 million - a significant amount for a sector where margins are often very tight.
"We urge small and large organisations in this sector to really take control of their energy costs - by implementing a workplace energy saving plan, and by shopping aorund for the very best energy deals.
"We understand that energy bills often languish in the too hard basket in the hospitality sector, but in reality this is the industry that can least afford to do that."
The survey revealed that the profit margin of an average UK restaurant was approximately 8%. With estimated energy savings of nearly 25% achievable in most restaurants, the research showed they could boost profit margins to around 12.6%.
Chefs and retaurateurs admitted to leaving on gas hobs, grills, deep fryers, heat lamps and ovens throughout service so that high quality food could be turned out quickly. The Carbon Trust estimates that the UK hopsitality sector generates the equivalent of about 8 million tonnes of carbon - greater than the entire carbon emissions of Costa Rica or Kosovo.
Michelin-starred chef Glynn Purnell and E.ON have launched a campaign to help small businesses save energy and money through a special Energy Toolkit created to help firms manage their energy use and plan efficiencies.
"Restaurants need to strike a balance between quality food and service and energy costs, for the sake of their bottom line and the environment," Mr Morgan said.
"It sounds hard but it's not - restaurateurs need to devise an energy saving strategy and get their staff to embrace the policy. There is a range of things they can do to save money - choosing energy-saving equipment, locating fridges and freezers away from hot kitchens, and considering induction hobs instead of gas just to name a few.
"But switching suppliers is the easiest way of all to cut costs. Restaurateurs are simply wasting large amount of money if they don't check the market for the best deals and switching suppliers accordingly."
The Energy Advice Line is a consumer champion and an independent price comparison and switching service for householders and small and medium-sized businesses. The service enables consumers to quickly and simple compare electricity and gas prices, and to switch to the best available deal on the market.
The service also offers free advice and a contract management service, including alerts to remind business consumer users when their fixed-term energy contracts are about to end.
For further information, visit energyadviceline.org.uk