Energy Saving Tips for the Catering/Hospitality Industry:

15.07.2013

 For any business today energy is now the single biggest expense accounting on averarge  30- 50% of annual expenditure. Yearly increases of 6-7 % are making this situation even worse.

Despite this worrying trend, a number of practical energy saving tips can be appiled to help ease the pain of raising energy costs eating into your hard earned profit.

TOP 10 ENERGY SAVINGS TIPS

1. Buy energy-efficient equipment. A typical restaurant can save up to €15,000 each year by outfitting their kitchen with energy-efficient equipment.
2. Maintain your equipment. Simple maintenance steps, like cleaning equipment, changing air filters and checking seals and gaskets regularly, can have a big impact on the energy-efficiency of your appliances.
3. Keep an eye on your air. It may seem invisible, but heating, ventilation and air conditioning accounts for about 28% of a typical restaurant’s energy expenses. To save up to €1,500 every year, invest in energy-efficient AC and hoods, as well as a programmable thermostat to turn off air when it is not needed 
4. Switch to energy-efficient lighting. A simple move to more efficient lighting could mean huge savings for your business. Every single bulb you switch to fluorescent lighting saves you about €30 in energy costs over the bulb’s lifetime.
5.  Establish a start-up and shut-down schedule. Eliminate idle time for all of your appliances. Only turn on cooking and heating equipment 20 minutes before you need it. This should be enough time for most equipment to preheat. Lights, hoods, ranges, signs and fans should all be turned off when not in use.
6. Conserve hot water.Saving hot water will lower two utility bills at once. Use cold water whenever possible. Insulate hot-water pipes, regularly check your water temperature and follow all the general guidelines for water conservation to save even more money.    
7. Retrofit your old equipment. Refrigerator strip curtains, high-efficiency evaporative fan motors, variable-speed hood fans and low-flow pre-rinse spray valves are just a few products that can add up to save you thousands of dollars every year. 
8. Rearrange your kitchen. Separate your cooling equipment from your cooking equipment so your refrigerators do not have to work as hard. Group the hottest appliances, like broilers, steamers and open burners, under the same vent.
9. Train your employees to conserve. Saving energy could be as simple as closing a refrigerator door or turning off the burner. If you do not instill in your employees the importance of energy conservation, your savings could fly straight out the window.
10. Get an energy assessment. Many utility companies offer free energy assessments. These can help you monitor the efficiency of each aspect of your restaurant. If you are still not sure how to proceed, you can always hire a consultant.                                                                

Here is a quick video on some simple business energy savings tips.

For more information and resources on energy saving check out Sustainable Energy Ireland's website.

If you are interested in investing in energy saving catering equipment contact customer service representative  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it today or call 0353 90 9646674.