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  Hospitality businesses are notoriously difficult to keep open. Owners need to stay ahead of operational costs, including those related to maintaining temperatures and business energy management.    This blog will offer insights into how to reduce business energy costs in hospitality settings, such as restaurants, cafes, bars or hotels, all while maintaining comfortable room temperatures for guests and staff alike.   The importance of proper temperatures in hospitality settings   Annual energy plans for restaurants and other businesses of the sort can be defined largely by the temperature requirements of the settings. This isn’t just about the comfort of guests and staff, there are also often regulatory and safety requirements that need to be adhered to.    Comfort-based temperature requirements   Hotel rooms should be kept around 18-21°C, with the options for the guest to adjust the temperature within a certain range Restaurants, cafes, bars and dining areas should be kept at a comfortable range between 21-22°C Kitchens should be kept cooler, around 15-18°C, especially considering all the heat of cooking processes Care homes should be kept slightly warmer, around 20-24°C, important for keeping elderly or vulnerable residents comfortable and healthy   Food safety temperatures   Food safety regulations require more specific temperature controls, to guarantee everything is stored safely, keeping fines or penalties at bay.    Fridge temperatures need to be kept at 5°C or lower  Freezer temperature must be -18°C or lower Cooking temperatures should be 70°C or higher for most foods  Hot holding has to be 63°C or higher  Food should be cooled from 60°C to 20°C within 2 hours – then from 20°C to 5°C within another 4 hours.  Temperatures are an essential thing to keep in mind in hospitality, with safety and comfort trumping efforts to lower the monthly energy bill for a restaurant or bar. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t make differences with clever business energy management techniques.    Temperature & energy management in hospitality   When it comes to managing your energy consumption levels in hospitality settings, temperature control can be a hard thing to overcome. There are few primary focuses that you need to consider, such as HVAC systems, envelope building and smart features.    HVAC maintenance   HVAC systems will be in constant action, so make sure to maintain them and book in regular servicing to ensure that they’re efficient and not expending unnecessary energy. At the same time, aim for comfort, but at reasonable levels.   Envelope building   Improve wall, roof and floor insulation across the entire building, draught proofing spaces across the various rooms to minimise leaking and keep each area its proper temperature, further ensuring HVAC systems aren’t overworked.    Smart energy management features   Using smart features can be a great way to sidestep oversight, which can be common with teams under the pressure of serving guests. Some installations can include:    Occupancy-scheduled thermostats and sensors to ensure the right spaces have the right temperatures, maximising efficiency Key card switches for hotel rooms that automatically turn off lights and HVAC systems when guests leave General zone controls for HVAC systems   Keep track of progress!   And remember, the key to any good energy management strategy is to measure your energy performance from start to finish, allowing you to base your next steps on data.  For more insights into energy management and other related topics, visit our blog today.

Hospitality is one of the hardest industries to turn a profit in, with heavy operational/labour costs and seasonal fluctuations only accounting for some of the challenges faced by owners. Guest-hosting businesses also use a lot of business electricity and gas, increasing overheads even more. In fact, over 30% of all hospitality businesses considered energy bills their primary concern in the summer of 2023. This makes the importance of proper energy management in hospitality industry settings as clear as day.    How rising energy costs are impacting restaurant businesses Restaurants are arguably feeling the impact of the energy crisis harder than most of the industries in the UK. In fact, over half of eateries polled by Favouritetable have cited recently that they’ve had to increase their prices to keep up with the inflated monthly costs of electricity and gas. Similarly, many businesses are reducing their operating hours, sometimes by as much as two days a week, to pay less to energy companies.   For many, national and regional energy costs for restaurant businesses in the UK will be the different between staying open or closing for good.    Energy management and saving techniques in hospitality With bills looming so threateningly over restaurants and other venues, hospitality professionals need to utilise some energy management and saving techniques to ensure they can continually offer high-quality services.    Optimising equipment and techniques. Old cookers, pans and other equipment can lead to a lack of energy efficiency, ultimately increasing the overall energy bills incurred by a kitchen.    Finding & negotiating better contracts. In many cases, a hospitality business could be suffering under overcharged bills because of a lack of awareness of a good electricity or gas tariff.     Choosing renewable energy. Renewable energy such as wind power is generally much cheaper per kWh when compared to traditional fossil fuel-powered options – going eco-friendly might be your financial saviour!   Menu engineering. Choosing to include items on a menu that require less cooking/energy to prepare can decrease energy bills. Who knew steak tartare could be so helpful!   Utilising smart meters & technology. Smart meters are an essential in every home or business setting, ensuring bills are accurate and you can adjust your energy use in real time. Appliances like motion sensor lights can also help to reduce expenditure.    Training & informing staff. Make sure that your staff are made aware of efforts to reduce energy usage and train them in basic techniques that they can apply to their daily processes.   Energy-efficient lighting & HVAC. Lighting and HVAC can consume less energy with smart devices like sensors, along with basic changes clearing out the systems or choosing energy-efficient bulbs.    Finding the right solution for energy management in hospitality If you’re leaning towards finding a new tariff or switching over to renewable energy, why not give us a visit at D-Energi. We’re proud business energy suppliers with a passion for supporting companies of various sizes, whether with competitive gas tariffs, electricity or 100% UK wind power.  Contact our team today to learn more.

Retail is an industry that consumes energy at a remarkable rate, especially in food-stocking stores. With bright lights for presentation, constant background music and of course, refrigeration, retail stores are really feeling the impact of the energy crisis in 2025. That’s not to mention the various reasons for the overarching cultural opinion of high streets getting worse – the financial impacts of which can be severe. Business energy conservation has never been more important for retailers trying to maintain operations.    This blog offers some guidance on reducing the monthly energy cost for small retail stores, so you can keep your doors open for years to come, even in a volatile energy environment.   Optimise lighting This is perhaps the most common piece of advice to help a business save energy, and for good reason. Replacing typical halogen bulbs with LEDs is an absolute must, while arranging the store to utilise natural lighting can also make a huge difference. A more comprehensive investment can be installing motion sensors and daylight sensors to adjust lighting based on traffic and natural light availability.    Rethink refrigeration Refrigeration generally accounts for between 30-60% of all electricity used in retail settings. If your retail shop energy rates are too high, the fridge could be the perfect place to make savings. The options here include:    Upgrading to higher-efficiency units Regularly cleaning the fridge’s condenser coils Ensuring any fridge doors are properly sealed Defrosting the freezers regularly Optimising the settings to avoid overcooling and over expending energy Installing night blinds and covers to insulate temperature on open displays Don’t feel the need to overfill your fridges Turn off fridge lights whenever possible HVAC heroism Retail settings need to be kept at temperatures with customers inside – it’s an important part of providing and overall agreeable experience – especially in food storage settings. Tools like programmable thermostats will adjust heating and cooling based on store hours and occupancy, ensuring temperatures aren’t unnecessarily altered outside of operating hours.    Again, much like fridges regular maintenance is your friend when it comes to HVAC systems. Older, less functional systems will work harder to set temperatures, therefore expending more energy. Filter cleanings and duct inspections will go a long way!   Zoning your HVAC applications across the store setting can also be useful, ensuring heating and cooling is only enacted the right way based on the specific needs of each area.   Proper insulation and ventilation Properly ventilating the setting and allowing for good ventilation during the summer can make all the difference. Make sure to invest in both fast fix solutions and more permanent alterations to the business fabric. These changes will work in conjunction with HVAC improvements to make a significant difference to temperature-based expenditure.    Changing tariffs or going renewable While not strictly a form of business energy conservation, changing tariffs or leaning into renewable energy, such as wind power, could be the adjustment that your business needs financially. The former could illuminate that you’ve been paying inflated costs, while the latter is more energy-efficient and sustainable by nature!  For more information about how changing tariffs or leaning into renewable energy could benefit your retail business, please contact our team!

The hospitality industry relies heavily on energy to power businesses. If you run or manage a restaurant, bar, hotel or other popular entertainment venue, you will know just how important it is to keep energy bills low while continuing to offer regular service.  During the festive season there is greater demand for such services with Christmas parties and meals and end of year gatherings planned between families and friends. With greater demand comes an increased need for energy. During this time of economic crisis, what can hospitality businesses do to keep bills low while demand is high.  Cut energy waste in your establishment  Despite the need for energy, the hospitality sector is guilty of wasting large amounts of electricity, water, and gas each year. One way to reduce energy bills and manage consumption during the busy festive season is to cut this waste as much as possible. There are several ways you can do this:  6 Ways to reduce energy waste  Introduce lighting controls to reduce wasted electricity and switch your light bulbs to energy efficient LED bulbs. You may also wish to consider upgrading your lighting systems to be sensor activated, so they are only switched on when people are in the room and turn off once someone leaves.  In your industrial kitchens and behind your bars, opt to switch off electrical appliances that do not need to be switched on for an entire shift. For example, wait to turn on extractor fans and bar lights once customers have started ordering.  Cut down the usage of your heating systems. Often the heating and cooling systems are wasted on busy venues. Particularly in the winter when, although it’s cold outside, the heat from the hustle and bustle of your many customers does not require the additional support of a high setting on your thermostat.  Encourage your bar staff, kitchen teams, and members of the front of house team to adopt a positive attitude towards saving energy.  Ensure ventilation systems are cleaned regularly and serviced. You will not be getting the most out of your air conditioning systems if the ventilation is not cleaned or is not able to operate to 100% of its ability.  Set limits on hot water temperatures. When water is excessively heated, not only can this be costly, but dangerous too. Water does not need to be excessively hot for its intended purposes within hospitality.  While the appetite to dine out over the festive season remains high amongst consumers, some of these helpful tips may just contribute to keeping your energy bills at a regular rate.  Smart meters for hospitality businesses  To monitor and keep track of your energy during this festive season and beyond is to consider installing a smart meter for business.  Business smart meters allow you to receive accurate meter readings while displaying your real-time usage. For those working in the hospitality sector, looking for a way to take control of your company’s energy consumption, this is the ideal solution. Get in touch with the D-ENERGi team today for more information.

D-ENERGi are delighted to announce that we are the sponsor of the “Group Hotel Of The Year Award” at the prestigious AA Hospitality Awards, held on the Monday 24th September at the London Hilton. The AA Hospitality awards are amongst the most prestigious national awards in the Hospitality and Tourism calendar. Promoting excellence and appealing to a wide range of individuals and organisations. It incorporates the unrivalled knowledge and expertise of the AA inspectorate and other leading industry professionals. Winners are selected in recognition of excellence and success within their award category, having shown a significant improvement within the preceding 12 to 18 months. Proving their dedication to raising industry standards and enhancing both their guest and diner experiences. Zico Ahmed director of D-ENERGi  “We and the team are looking forward to this prestigious event as it gives us a unique opportunity to take some time out and meet some of our loyal customers, in a celebratory, relaxed environment” This year, the AA will be recognising high-achieving establishment and individuals and celebrating the industry’s finest at two events: the AA B&B Awards, held on Tuesday 15 May at the Royal Horseguards, London; and the AA Hospitality Awards, held on Monday 24 September at The London Hilton on Park Lane.