Register to get 3 free articles
Register to unlock the article and receive our free newsletter. Join 26,000 other hotel leaders and stay in the know.
Want unlimited access? View Plans
Already have an account? Sign in
Amid rising concerns of staff shortages and a stressed-out workforce, energy prices continue to soar, contributing to the booming business costs felt by hotels and the wider hospitality sector. Adding to that is the increasing importance of sustainability, with energy wastage climbing even higher up hotel owners’ agendas.
In fact, recent research from BRITA found three-quarters of hospitality decision-makers have targets in place to lower energy usage. How hotels use workplace equipment sits at the heart of this solution and there are some simple, energy-efficient steps you can take to achieve these goals.
1) Question the status quo
While some pieces of equipment may need to stay on overnight, our research shows these habits aren’t always essential. For example, in many cases, kitchens aren’t fully operational 24/7 – so, why are 21% of operators not turning microwaves off and 11% leaving fryers and grills on overnight?
As the new Invisible Waste report reveals, one in five hospitality decision-makers admit that certain pieces of equipment are left on because it’s easier to do so, while one in 10 say it is due to the fact that no one is responsible for turning them off.
Determining what processes and habits are in place to increase guest satisfaction, and which may be a legacy of “the done way”, is a good first step to reducing energy wastage.
2) Consider multitasking machines
For pieces of equipment that you can’t turn off, think about reducing the number of machines you need. Take the provision of water for example, rather than utilising fridge space for cold water and relying on a kettle for hot, a water dispenser can offer the solution in one.
This can reduce the volume of equipment running, and as such, cut energy use. What’s more, there are plenty of innovative offerings on the market that run in eco-friendly modes or offer settings such as night mode, giving you a helping hand in reducing consumption.
3) Don’t overlook maintenance
If machines aren’t performing at their best, they will be using more energy to do so. For example, to protect equipment such as a coffee machine or combi oven from limescale, make sure to fit a suitable water filter and stick to a regular maintenance schedule to reduce limescale build-up.
4) Make sure you measure
Consider using sub-metres and smart metres to build up a picture of how energy flows through your equipment and the site as a whole. This will help you to prioritise your focuses, and most importantly, track which energy-saving efforts are making the biggest difference to replicate these energy reducing wins elsewhere if possible.
5) Make these changes visible
By its very nature, it can be hard to visualise the reduction of invisible energy waste. However, by making key changes such as installing a water dispenser behind the bar, you could secure buy-in for bigger energy reducing projects down the line.
Taking these factors into consideration can set you on a good path, but as other priorities continue to dominate, forging the right partnerships can help to relieve pressures. After all, suppliers, partners, managers, as well as front and back of house staff have the potential to be sustainability champions, all while helping to cushion the bottom line.
