Pubs could be forced into reduced opening hours this winter in a bid to offset some of the soaring gas and electricity costs, which are already pushing businesses to the brink.

Bar owners nationwide have said that they will be forced to cut back on staff numbers, shorten opening hours or close altogether as rising costs squeeze their revenue.

Publican Paul Moynihan said that his bill for a small rural family-run pub in Co. Wicklow has jumped from €1,000 a month to €2,500.

Other pubs have reported increases of more than €6,500 per month on gas and electricity bills.

It comes ahead of emergency talks at EU level on rising energy costs, exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, on September 9 next, with EU President Ursula von der Leyen saying yesterday that "energy prices are breaking record after record. The consequences for households and companies are not sustainable."

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Paul Clancy, chief executive of the Vintners' Federation of Ireland, said pubs could be forced to shut as a result of energy bills tripling.

"Energy costs rising to unprecedented levels will see some pubs deciding to open for shorter hours, or in some cases, close for the winter. We may even see pubs close for good," said Mr Clancy.

He said the increases can't be passed on to consumers who are already under pressure and called for support for pubs.

"During Covid, the Government introduced a series of measures to support pubs that were forced to close, including the commercial rates waiver. Our members will need a similar type of intervention over the coming months. We don't think people fully realise what is coming down the tracks."

Nearly 350 pubs across the country have already closed over the two-year period of the pandemic.

And it's feared that inflation here could top 13% in the coming months, intensifying the squeeze on households and businesses. As a result of the price hikes, the average (combined) gas and electricity bill is now about €4,000 - with further increases expected - while inflation is currently above 9%, the highest level since 1984, and showing no signs of abating.

This is in addition to rising grocery bills and prices at the pumps still averaging close to €2 per litre.

Alison Kealy, of Kealy's of Cloghran near Dublin Airport, said her electricity bill was up 37% from 2019 - the last period her pub was fully open.

Ms Kealy, who is Chair of the Licensed Vintners Association, said energy prices, alongside other rising costs, would make keeping pubs open unsustainable.

"We're just really concerned with the coming winter. There's no idea how high these electricity and gas prices will go. We can't go on this way, it's unsustainable.

"My insurance went up 35% this year. We've come back from the pandemic and had a staff and skills shortage. We've been hiring consistently throughout the year and our wages bill has increased significantly as well. We're getting price increases from suppliers all the time. Our food oil has gone up 100% and chicken is up 35%."

Ms Kealy said that if costs increased further her pub would have to look at shortened opening hours, reducing staff hours and shutting some of the three bars available.

In Wicklow, Mr Moynihan said this was only the very beginning of what would be a really difficult winter for the hospitality industry.

"Publicans and restaurant owners are going to look at quieter days and think about whether it is viable for them to open and that will affect wages.

"It will probably make some businesses unviable and they'll close altogether," Mr Moynihan added.

Tom Dunbar, a bar owner from Co. Wexford, said pubs would have to consider a number of measures to keep themselves afloat.

"It's going to be a trying time and it's going to affect everybody. You have to do the best you can and work your business around it. There are some people who might not open in the week in the depths of the winter when things are quiet," Mr Dunbar suggested.

Publican Ronan Lynch, of the Swan Bar in Dublin, said: "It is unprecedented, what's happening with the energy bills, and it is unprecedented what we've been through for the last two to three years. People are still in recovery mode and trying to recoup their losses from lockdown, and there is massive pressure on their businesses - this is the last thing they need. It is an incredibly challenging environment."

He said his own electricity bill had risen by "thousands" per month, but that the real impact would be seen in the wintertime "when you're trying to heat your pub all day from 10am in the morning until 11pm at night".

Danny Healy-Rae, the Independent Kerry TD and publican, said: "I feel that many will close this winter because of the rising cost of fuel and they just won't be able to meet their costs. Economically, many of them will be under savage pressure to survive."

In response to queries, a Government spokesperson said it has already implemented a number of measures to help ease the impact on enterprises of rising energy costs, including a temporary reduction in the excise duties charged.

"There are over 20 other government grants, vouchers and training available to help mitigate the impact of price rises on enterprises and to become more energy efficient.

"In addition, the Department is working with the European Commission to allow it to grant state aid to certain businesses to help them with additional costs (both liquidity and energy costs) due to the Russian war on Ukraine.

"The Emergency Response Credit Guarantee Scheme will be a loan guarantee scheme, similar to the Covid-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme.

"Assuming all approvals are granted, the scheme would be available by year end."