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Cut your energy costs, with the Carbon Trust
With energy prices soaring and the newspapers awash with doom and gloom about global warming, now is the time to reduce energy consumption in Scottish hospitality businesses – to save money and our planet.
John Stocks provides a few simple pointers on how to reduce your business's energy costs…
Every company's aim should be to make improvements in both their operating policies and their premises, which will impact favourably on the bottom line while improving conditions for both clientele and staff.
Businesses can cut their energy costs by up to 20% through the implementation of easy, affordable measures, and they can simultaneously capitalise on the business benefits of cutting their carbon emissions.
Here are some tips to help reduce your energy costs at work:
Heating
Heating is the largest area of energy usage in the hospitality industry, so it pays to keep a close eye on it.
Check timer settings: It's unlikely you'll need your heating on all day. Make sure it's switched off outside peak hours.
Keep control: Remember that every 1deg. C of overheating will increase your heating bill by 8%. Check room thermostats and radiator settings, and if it feels too hot, turn them down a bit. In hotels, empty rooms can be kept at 14 deg. C without risking damp or condensation.
Air Conditioning
Electrically powered air conditioning is expensive to use and rarely necessary in hotel bedrooms.
- Set temperature controls as high as possible in summer, as lower temperatures require more energy.
- Ensure that the cooling set point is above the heating set point
- Set your air conditioning to come on only when the temperature reaches 24 deg. C or more, to ensure that it is not operating at the same time as the heating
Keep it closed: Doors and windows should be kept closed, to keep cooling costs down. Fitting simple cut-off switches can automatically disable air conditioning when an external door is opened.
Allocate responsibility to a member of staff or small team who can drive forward energy-saving measures. These can include:
- Finding out how much you spend on energy each year, which will give you a base figure from which to monitor the success of energy-saving measures
- Check heating and cooling controls to ensure they are set at the appropriate temperatures
- Prepare a list of housekeeping measures, including simple actions such are switching off lights and equipment. These can be displayed around the workplace to motivate staff and remind them of their responsibilities
- Walk around your premises and complete an energy checklist at different times of the day (including after hours) to identify where energy savings can be made
Lighting
Did you know that lighting typically accounts for around 20% of energy costs? In order to keep these to a minimum, here are a few simple measures:
Use energy-saving light bulbs: These use 75% less energy than a standard bulb. They also have different light outputs and come in a variety of shapes and sizes to match the décor of a room
Colour-code light switches: Labelling switches makes it easier for staff to identify which lights they need to switch off, rather than illuminating the whole building at a time
Refrigeration
Refrigeration is expensive but here are some useful pointers to keep costs down:
Consider equipment location: Appliances should be situated in a cool place and not in direct sunlight or close to heat sources such as radiators or ovens
Keep it closed: Don't leave doors open longer than necessary, and ensure that stocking up takes place as quickly as possible. For chill cabinets, avoid setting the temperature unnecessarily low, as every extra 5 deg. C of cooling can add an extra 10-20% to costs.
The Carbon Trust helps businesses and public sector organisations to cut their energy costs by providing free, professional advice, and offers posters and stickers that will motivate your staff to take simple energy-saving measures.
Start raising awareness today - call 0800 58 57 94 to claim your free energy-awareness pack.
This article has been edited from its original version. For the complete feature, please see Catering in Scotland magazine September/October 2007.
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