Hospitality firms wasting £180m a year on energy | cateringinsight.com

UK hospitality businesses are wasting £180m more on energy than they need to, according to an industry report. Data released by the Energy Efficiency Scheme (EEF) — a joint financing programme between the Carbon Trust and Siemens — suggests that restaurants, hotels and bars are racking up unnecessarily large bills due to inefficient technology, equipment and processes. The EEF said potential areas for energy saving include ventilation, cooling, heating and lighting. Research suggests that energy used in catering accounts for between 4% and 6% of operating profits, so savings made in this area can directly improve profitability without the need to increase sales. The regular cleaning of ventilation systems, meanwhile, can increase efficiency by as much as 25% compared with unmaintained systems. Through the EEF scheme, businesses that have been trading for three or more years can apply for finance support, with payments calculated so that they can be offset by anticipated energy savings. via Hospitality firms wasting £180m a year on energy | cateringinsight.com.