5 Simple Things to do to Make Your Restaurant Energy Efficient

Restaurants use a lot of energy; after all, they need to prepare food and provide a pleasant ambiance for customers. Therefore, to properly run the business, there is a considerable need for gas and electricity. 

But how much gas and electricity does an average restaurant use, and is there a way to cut energy consumptions and lower costs?

How much energy do restaurants use?

The amount of energy will vary depending on the size of the restaurant, the equipment used, and energy efficiency measures that are in place, and more.

A small cafe will use less gas and electricity compared to a fast-food chain. However, small businesses will most likely use between fifteen thousand (15,000) to twenty-five thousand (25,000) kWh of electricity per year. 

Medium-sized businesses will use between thirty thousand (30,000) to fifty thousand (50,000) kWh per year.

But generally, the energy used by catering businesses accounts for four (4) to six (6) percent of their operating costs. According to the Carbon Trust, the UK’s catering industry is estimated to consume around twenty-one (21) million kWh of energy per year.

It is also noted that there is a considerable amount of energy wastage in restaurants. For example, only forty (40) percent of energy is consumed to store and prepare food, but the rest of the energy is dispersed in the cooking area as heat. 

According to the Journal of Low-Carbon Technologies, refrigeration’s average daily electricity consumption was seventy (70) kWh. Furthermore, refrigeration can represent up to fifty percent (50%) of electricity costs for some businesses. 

So if your business relies heavily on refrigeration, a closer look at the regular maintenance and management of cooled spaces and units can be one of the most effective ways to reduce your energy costs. Poor maintenance alone can increase your energy consumption from refrigeration by ten percent (10%). When you open a new restaurant, we know you want to offer people the best food, the best memories and the best time. At Template.net, they support this noble ambition with all our hearts. Therefore, they have made a series of professional restaurant templates with original content for your greater ease. Now with 100% customizable samples, edit and personalize all your restaurant’s legal, social and management documents in a jiffy. What’s more? These are available over a range of file formats like MS Word, Google Docs, Pages, Google Sheets, PSD, PDF, illustrator, InDesign, Outlook, Publisher, Numbers and MS-Excel.

You can implement the following to reduce the energy consumption from refrigeration:

• Repair door seal

A simple door seal repair is a cheap and effective way to prevent warm air from entering your display cabinets and cold stores. You can also check if ice is building up around the doors of your frozen cabinets. 

• Relocate refrigeration units

Make sure that your refrigeration units are far from direct heat and draughts. If you have open-fronted display cabinets, move them away from draughts because it can increase energy use by ninety-five percent (95%)

• Fit strip curtains

If your cold stores need to be open for loading and unloading purposes for long periods, it would be best to fit strip curtains.

• Fit transparent panels

Fitting transparent panels to retail display cabinets creates a warmer and more comfortable shopping environment. Furthermore, there is no noticeable loss of sales when transparent panels are installed. 

• Regular maintenance and servicing

Make sure to check all your units, condensers, and evaporators must be kept clean. In addition, Defrost systems need to be maintained and serviced regularly to ensure that it’s working correctly. 

By implementing these steps, you get to maintain and maximize the efficiency of your existing equipment. In doing so, you are already in a position to achieve cost savings. But you can also choose to invest more time and money in new technology to make a more significant difference. 

In addition, grills use thirty-seven (37) kWh, and combination ovens use thirty-five (35) kWh. You can easily see how energy consumption and costs can quickly mount up for food businesses with these figures. 

How much gas do restaurants use?

Gas is the primary energy used by restaurants. On average, small businesses use fifteen thousand (15,000) to thirty thousand (30,000) kWh of gas a year. On the other hand, medium companies use thirty thousand (30,000) to sixty-five (65,000) kWh of gas annually.

When you estimate your business’s utility costs, you can create a better financial plan for your business. So when you are looking at your energy bill, there are two key things to pay attention to:

• the unit cost charged by your provider

The unit cost is the cost per kWh of energy you use.

• standing charge

The standing charge is the daily amount that covers the cost of transporting energy to your business.

Conclusion

You can make your restaurant more energy efficient by making minor changes and fixes to decrease your energy costs. By doing so, you also get to help the environment by cutting down on your carbon footprint. 

As an option, you can also look for a new business energy supplier. There are many new energy suppliers in the market that can give you a better energy deal. If you want to know more, you can check out Utility Bidder. They can provide a comprehensive list of suppliers with their prices and services.