How Pricier Is It at Easter This Year? From Pressure to Progress
Happy Easter to you all!
We’ve made it to Week 13 of Vitalis Insight, closing out the first quarter with a focus on costs, energy, and carbon.
No—I haven’t lost the plot this week. I just thought… everyone loves cute animals and chocolate, right? Winner.
I’m sure, like me, you’ve wandered through the supermarket lately only to find that buying a bag of Mini Eggs (other brands are available) now feels like a considered purchase.
There’s not much room for impulse buys when your trolley of “essentials” feels more like the deposit on a small family car.
So, What’s the Outlook?
Spring has officially sprung. Lighter evenings, a fresh financial year, and—depending on your perspective—a bit of cautious optimism in the air.
But commercially, what are we really stepping into?
Let’s be honest: for most of us—both personally and in business—cost pressures are still biting. And with growing uncertainty in global trade (the US being just one part of that puzzle), it’s hard to say how deep the rabbit hole goes. (Sorry—had to do it.)
Yes, the energy market has steadied a little in recent weeks. But as I’ve said before, it can spook faster than a cat on a hot tin roof—so don’t get too comfortable.
Where Should We Look?
Operational efficiency is the big one.
Having a clear, strategic plan for the year ahead isn’t just sensible—it’s essential. One thing I always recommend is setting a cost-saving target that covers everything: energy, carbon, waste, utilities, overheads—the lot.
But here’s the key: Make it real. Make it doable.
Saying “we want to save £100,000” or “we want to be net zero” is great—but without a plan, it’s like saying:
“I want to lose six stone”… and expecting it to happen by magic.
You need to break it down:
What’s the 12-month target?
What should month 11 look like?
What does weekly or even daily progress look like?
Just like fitness goals, small wins build momentum—and when it comes to costs and carbon, momentum beats magic every time.
That Creeping Feeling…
That sense that “everything costs more than it should”? It’s no longer just a feeling. It’s showing up clearly in the data.
But there is a bright side—if you take action.
Set goals that are timely, broken down, and genuinely achievable, and you give yourself something crucial: progress you can actually see.
Why does that matter?
Because as human beings, we like to recognise success. And it feels great when we can see a target getting closer.
Here’s a quote I love because it’s so true:
“Success is a journey, not a destination.”
This is exactly where small improvements and smart decisions can make a big, measurable difference—especially when you’ve got someone in your corner helping you track it, challenge it, and improve it.
Is It Bleak?
It can be.
If you're running a charity, non profit, multi-site operations, managing older buildings, or trying to balance frontline service with backend efficiency—it can feel relentless.
Especially when the real cost increases are hiding in plain sight:
Heating and cooling systems running inefficiently—even though the fix is within your control
Spaces that are over-ventilated or over-lit
Energy contracts that looked “fine” last year, but don’t stack up today
Certainly, these don’t make headlines. But they quietly drain your resources—week in, week out.
And this is why I always bang on about lists, targets and KPIs.
Because good data—when it’s accurate—is like a sat nav.
Would you set off on a six-hour journey to somewhere you’ve never been and not switch on the sat nav?
Of course not.
Guesswork wastes time and energy. You might eventually get there—but you’ll take wrong turns, backtrack, and burn more fuel along the way.
Now repeat that same approach 5, 10, 20, even 100 times and multiply but the amount of sites you have - get the picture?
That’s how small inefficiencies—£1 here, £5 there—compound into hundreds, even thousands of pounds lost.
And all of it? Avoidable, with the right insight and direction.
Is There a Brighter Side?
Absolutely.
This is exactly the kind of environment where clarity, data, and good decisions pay off—fast.
You’ve probably already got sales targets, fundraising goals, prospecting KPIs. So why not apply that same discipline to your cost lines?
I’m talking about really getting into the detail:
Energy – deep dive
Carbon accounting – deep dive
Waste – deep dive
Water – deep dive (yes, I went there)
And the list isn’t limited to just these four.
If you're not taking that deep dive? You're leaving serious money on the table.
This is where carbon reduction and cost savings come together—and where the right kind of independent support (like we offer at Vitalis) can help you unlock both, without flipping everything upside down.
Spring’s a brilliant time to make smart changes.
But only if you’ve got the insight, support, and plan to make them stick.
One Final Thought…
Easter often brings a bit of a feel-good factor—lighter evenings, warmer weather, and a fresh perspective.
So why not give your cost lines a feel-good moment too?
Use this time of year to reflect, reset, and start planning ahead.
My aim with every organisation I support is simple:
Save as much as possible from the bottom line and reinvest it into topline growth, easing the stress for senior stakeholders in the process.
That, in itself, is a feel-good factor—not just for me, but for you, your team, and everyone who relies on the work you do.
Until next week, just remember this:
“Success is a system, not a secret. Build it, own it—and never wait for permission to improve it.” www.vitalisenergy.uk
