How Sprout & Co. Saved €39,639 on Energy Costs Across 8 Restaurant Locations

Case Study Overview

Sprout & Co. is an Irish restaurant group operating eight locations across Dublin, Kildare and Cork. As the business expanded, managing commercial energy contracts across multiple sites became increasingly complex, with contracts spread across different suppliers and renewal dates.

Utilityfair carried out a full review of Sprout & Co.’s electricity and gas accounts, identifying opportunities to reduce costs while simplifying contract management across the portfolio.

Through a competitive procurement exercise, Sprout & Co. secured annual energy savings of €39,639, consolidated supply arrangements, and aligned contract renewal dates across all locations, making future energy procurement significantly easier to manage.

Key highlights: €39,639 in annual energy savings (20% reduction), supplier consolidation across eight locations, and aligned contract renewal dates across all locations.

The Challenge: Managing Commercial Energy Across Eight Restaurant Locations

Sprout & Co. operates eight restaurant locations across Dublin, Kildare and Cork, requiring a coordinated approach to commercial energy procurement across multiple sites.

However, energy procurement had become fragmented, with contracts spread across three different suppliers and expiring at different times. This created operational inefficiencies, making it difficult to manage renewals, compare pricing consistently, and maintain oversight of total energy spend across the group.

At the time of review, all sites had rolled onto out-of-contract rates, meaning Sprout & Co. was paying approximately 20% above the best available market rates. This significantly increased operating costs at a time when the business was focused on scaling and maintaining margin control across its growing estate.

To address this, Sprout & Co. engaged Utilityfair to review its energy portfolio, with the objective of reducing costs, consolidating suppliers, and bringing all contracts into alignment.

How Sprout & Co. Worked with Utilityfair to Save on Commercial Energy Costs

Utilityfair worked closely with Sprout & Co.’s commercial director to review detailed usage data and current contract rates across all eight locations, establishing a clear baseline of energy spend and supplier arrangements.

A full market comparison was carried out across all suppliers, contract structures, and contract lengths for each individual meter, allowing Utilityfair to assess all available options and identify the most cost-effective procurement strategy for the portfolio. This analysis identified total annual savings of €39,639, representing a 20% reduction in energy expenditure.

The findings and recommendations were then presented directly to Sprout & Co.’s commercial director in a detailed review meeting, outlining the most suitable supplier options for both electricity and gas, along with clear explanations of the commercial impact of each choice.

Following approval of the preferred structure, Utilityfair managed the full implementation process, registering all electricity meters under one supplier and all gas meters under a separate supplier, delivering a more cost-effective structure.

All contract end dates were then aligned across the portfolio, creating a single coordinated renewal cycle and significantly simplifying future energy management for the group.

Results: €39,639 Saved in Electricity And Gas Cost

• Total Savings: €39,639 annual savings achieved, representing a 20% reduction in combined electricity and gas costs for the group.
• Consolidated Suppliers: Electricity contracts across all eight locations were consolidated under one supplier, with gas contracts aligned under a separate supplier, creating a streamlined and more efficient procurement structure.
• Aligned Contracts: All contract end dates were standardised across the estate, enabling Sprout & Co. to manage energy procurement on a single coordinated renewal cycle rather than multiple staggered renewals.
• Improved Cost Control: The removal of fragmented supplier arrangements and out-of-contract exposure ensured the business is no longer vulnerable to unmanaged price increases or inconsistent site-level pricing.
• Operational Efficiency Gain: Energy management across eight locations is now significantly simplified, reducing administrative burden and improving visibility of total group energy spend.

Are You Looking for a Better Energy Deal?

Call 01 547 0999 or click below to request a free energy review. We will assess your current energy contracts, highlight any potential savings opportunities, and advise on the most suitable procurement options for your business. If you are happy to proceed, we will arrange the new contracts for you with no disruption to your business whatsoever. Utilityfair helps businesses reduce energy costs through competitive procurement.