Hillmorton pub landlady says fuel costs killing industry

Rachel Slatcher said almost all of the restaurant and bar's operations relied on electricity

The landlady of a pub who has seen her energy bill more than double has said the rise in fuel costs is "killing" her industry.

Rachel Slatcher, who runs The Bell at Hillmorton, in Rugby, said she was now paying more than £50,000 a year.

Figures from the British Beer and Pub Association have shown average energy costs are up by 80%.

Ms Slatcher, who has run The Bell for 16 years, said other pubs in the town had already closed.

"There are a number of pubs that have gone or are looking to go, because why would you [stay open]?" she said.

"Why would you work 70, 80, 90 hours a week to just feel like you're just [going] mad and if my fuel costs are going even higher, you sort of think 'will it work?'"

Ms Slatcher has run The Bell for 16 years

Ms Slatcher told BBC CWR it was increasingly hard to make ends meet.

"I look at the bank and I'm thinking yeah, it's coming in, it's just going out, coming in, going out. And how much longer can you actually sustain a business where there's not any actual profit to maintain a building?'

She said the industry relied heavily on electricity - from running the pumps and kitchen appliances to keeping the lights on, so was particularly vulnerable to fuel price rises.

The landlady added the rise in the minimum wage had also put pressure on businesses, even though she appreciated living costs had squeezed everyone's incomes.