Running a busy restaurant, you’ll be only too familiar with the impact rising energy bills are continuing to have on your business. Last year, pubs, bars and restaurants saw their energy prices rise an average of 81%, with latest estimates putting the average cost of utility bills at around 30 – 40% of a hospitality business’ annual turnover.

At Trail, we’ve had lots of conversations with customers who are concerned about how they go about balancing energy savings with providing a fantastic customer experience. That’s why we wanted to put together some insights and support that might help. So, in this article we'll take a look at how you can effectively reduce energy consumption without negatively impacting your customer experience. We'll give you some great, actionable tips to help you lower energy use and see how technology, like Trail, can help streamline the process.

8 tips to help you reduce energy consumption in your restaurant

The cost of living crisis has had a huge impact on hospitality, and it’s clear that energy consumption features heavily in the list of top challenges facing the hospitality industry right now. So, what can you do about it?

1. Conduct an energy audit

Dig out your old energy bills or use an energy tracking tool to get an idea of how much energy you are currently using, how much it costs and where you’re wasting it.

Carbon statement provides weekly energy usage and carbon reporting. They report the cost of energy usage and highlight areas of energy waste and associated costs. These reports generate actions to cut costs and eliminate energy waste.

We loved what Carbon Statement was doing so we teamed up to help deliver those actions to the teams on site. Trail incorporates these actions into your day to day operation to increase results and systemise sustainability - discover how.

2. Clean and service your equipment

Is your equipment working harder than it needs to? Cleaning your equipment and servicing it regularly can help you make energy savings.

Start by checking your fridge—the condenser coils in the unit can become clogged with dust, preventing them from expelling heat. So your fridge has to work extra hard to reach food-safe temperatures.

3. Use energy-efficient equipment

If you clean and service your equipment and it still consumes a significant amount of energy, it might be time to switch to more energy-efficient equipment. While there is an upfront cost associated, it will save you money in the long term—using an energy-efficient dishwasher can save you on average £1,500 every year!

4. Turn down your thermostat

Turning your thermostat down by even 1°C could help you make big savings! So set reminders to turn down the heating or you could invest in a smart thermostat to do it for you.

5. Turn off appliances

If a kitchen extractor is left on overnight, it can waste up to 10 tons of carbon! By making a small switch, you can save (literally) tonnes of energy! Turning off equipment and regulating your heating during quiet times of the day (between lunch and dinner service) can help you make savings.

With Trail, you can assign tasks to the right person at the right time, reminding them to turn off equipment. For example, this checklist helps teams ensure they’re not wasting energy:

6. Switch to energy-efficient lighting

LED bulbs use about 75-80% less energy than traditional light bulbs. So, next time you replace your bulbs, make the switch to LED. Not only will it help you cut costs, but you’ll help the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

7. Change your kitchen layout

Your kitchen layout can affect the efficiency of your equipment. If your fridge is next to the oven, for example, it will have to work harder to expel hot air and cool down.

8. Train teams

The above steps can’t be achieved unless you get buy-in from your teams. Explain the importance of energy-saving practices, train teams on how to make the switch, and hold team members accountable.

Trail assigns teams tasks, so everyone knows what they need to do and when to do it. You can even attach photos and videos to tasks to instruct team members on how to perform the task. Energy-saving becomes a habit.

‍How Trail can support energy-saving in your restaurant

In this article, we’ve shared practical insights on how to reduce your energy consumption in your restaurant to make real savings. If you’re looking for ways to maximise your profits, incorporating these practices can have a big impact. The trouble is, managing them all can be challenging. This is where Trail can help. By automating Energy Saving Tasks you can set and track them with ease. Our integration with Carbon Statement allows for reminders and alerts to make sure you are only using what you need. 

Trail’s integration with Carbon Statement helps you to reduce your energy consumption by embedding weekly energy usage and carbon reporting. Spotting areas of energy waste and associated costs in day to day operation can increase results and systemise sustainability. These reports generate actions to cut costs and eliminate energy waste

By using Trail, you can streamline your restaurant’s operations, making it simpler to stay on top of energy management and other crucial tasks.

Ready to see how Trail can help your restaurant reduce energy use?

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