Take a look below at what you can start doing today to lower your energy costs.

Commercial Kitchens are sadly known for forgetting about energy conservation. Currently everyone is facing challenges to do with rising energy bills, which is why we all should rethink our everyday jobs to use less energy especially when not necessary.

Servicing Appliances Regularly

Often forgotten or considered expensive – regular appliance maintenance is truly important and will save you money in the long term!

When purchasing a new appliance, you should think of a service plan to further extend the unit’s life. Proper care can make all the difference when it comes to how well your unit performs and how long it will last. For example when purchasing a new ice machine for your restaurant, bar or cafe, you might want to consider investing in a water filter that's going to keep not only your appliance safe, but also will ensure that your ice is not contaminated with chlorine or sediment. It will also improve the smell and taste of your ice.

Check your appliance's state of the door seal regularly as it is key to keep your unit functioning properly. If you spot any damage such as tears, replace the door seal to make sure the interior temperature isn't affected by a broken seal. This could increase your energy consumption so do make sure to stay on top of it.

Smart Storage

Perhaps this one is obvious, but it does need to be mentioned. Every appliance has a way of storing produce in a way that’s more economical than others. For example, if your refrigerated display unit is an open fronted model, it could come with a energy saving function that works like an air curtain. This curtain works by creating a constant stream of air at the temperature ideal for the unit, which keeps the cool air in and doesn't let as much warm air in from outside the unit. Every time the curtain is broken, by either someone reaching in to grab a product or by something blocking the way, your unit will struggle more to keep your products at the right cool temperature. This is why you should pay attention to any obstructions, or something not placed correctly that could be making your appliance work much harder than it should, increasing your energy usage.

Glass VS Solid Door

When it comes to refrigerated storage, there are many different ways in which you might want to use your refrigerator or freezer. For a functional bar display, you’re probably going to choose glass doors which will allow you to show off your products. Regarding simple refrigerated storage, the focus is more on functionality rather than visual aspects of the appliance. Most kitchens and cafes will go for a solid door on their fridge and freezer as on average those do perform better and are more energy efficient. Although sometimes choosing a glass door can be the more eco-friendly option as kitchen staff will spend less time with the door open looking through what’s in stock. They will be able to see what they want and where it is before opening the door, therefore letting less cool air out of the unit.

Drawers VS Doors

When choosing between drawers or doors for your storage unit, functionality does go hand in hand with energy efficiency on this one. Most chefs prefer refrigerated drawers as they’re easier to reach into and grab of what’s needed. Staff will spend less time looking into a drawer as it is easier to see the contents, comparing to shelves which are all exposed when the door opens.

Stand by Mode

The silent energy sucking bill increasing little devil that we all forget about. Save your money and energy by switching off your appliances completely and turning them on only when you need them. This is a small change which may not seem like much, but believe me when I say that turning everything fully off when not in use will lower your energy consumption substantially.

Energy Efficient Light

This does require initial investment, but your costs will go down straight away. This will add up over a year, potentially saving you a good chunk of money. I suggest taking a slower approach when it comes to changing out lightbulbs. Use up your current stock and slowly start making the change as you need new lights. This is a less wasteful option which is easy to introduce and won’t tug on your pocket as much.

Staff Taking Precautions

Something that your staff should already be doing, might need reminding of every so often. Switching off the light when not in use, turning on the fryer 20 minutes before it’s needed rather than keeping it on constantly and closing fridge / freezer doors when not in use, are some of the simplest steps you and your staff can take in order to reduce your overall energy consumption.

You should try to implement regular cleaning of of condensers of all refrigerated units into your staff's regular cleaning schedule. This will prolong the life of your refrigerated appliances significantly and lower chances of the condensers malfunctioning in the future.

Temperature Control

This means two things.

1 – Control the temperature of your establishment appropriately. You may need to lower the heating when experiencing high numbers of customers inside. You may also need to make sure all doors are appropriately insulated so you don’t over produce warmth only to let it outside.

2 – Control the temperature of your appliances accordingly. Check if your bar display temperature cannot be adjusted. You may not need to store beer or soft drinks at only 4C, and by slightly increasing the storage temperature you will save energy without you or your customers noticing.

New VS Old

Purchasing a brand new appliance that is up to day with today’s technology, may be a smarter option than keeping the old one which does not work so well anymore. Your old unit may be costing you more to run a year than purchasing a new one would! Take a look at where you may be losing money on things like a leaking freezer or an overheating fridge.