June 2002 issue

Don’t Waste Your Energy

Restaurants USA magazine's final issue was published in September 2002 but these archived articles remain available for our readers' convenience.

Restaurants USA, June 2002

Here are some simple measures you can take to reduce energy costs.
By Ira Apfel

June 17, 2002

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), saving 20 percent a year on energy costs can increase a restaurant’s profits by as much as one-third. Here are some simple measures you can take to reduce energy costs at your establishment.

See the light

One way to save money on energy bills is to change light bulbs or fixtures, says Steve Kiesner, director of national accounts with the Edison Electric Institute in Washington DC. Replacing a screw-in incandescent bulb with a fluorescent bulb can save you as much as $34 per lamp, according to the EPA.

Climate control

Maintaining a comfortable climate is a must for a restaurant in order to ensure a pleasant dining and working atmosphere, so heating and cooling costs are sure to take a toll on energy bills. To limit energy costs, make sure your air-conditioning and heating units aren’t operating at the same time—a common mistake, says Kiesner. Install ceiling fans as a low-cost way to reduce air-conditioning usage. And consider using a programmable thermostat that can set back the temperature at night when your restaurant is closed. This one step can save up to $500 per year in energy costs, according to the EPA. Even something as little as opening your blinds during winter daylight hours can make a big difference in your climate at no cost, says Kiesner.



Kitchen conservation

Another common mistake restaurants make is turning on all of the cooking equipment at the same time when the operation opens. “You get a spike in energy activity that way,” says Kiesner. Other back-of-house mistakes include placing the refrigerator next to the cooking equipment and locating the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system next to the hot-air fan. Both of these scenarios force equipment to work harder and raise energy costs, says Kiesner.

The EPA offers many other energy-conserving suggestions on its Web site www.epa.gov/smallbiz/restaurants.html . A few back-of-house ideas from the site include:

• Replacing an old dishwasher with an insulated model for a savings of up to $500.

• Installing evaporator fan controls to reduce fan use in your walk-in refrigerator can save up to $20.

• Hanging a plastic-strip curtain in the entrance of your walk-in refrigerator can save up to $20 per unit.

An ounce of prevention

One of the best ways to reduce heating and air-conditioning costs is by properly maintaining your equipment. Every restaurant should have all of its HVAC equipment serviced by a qualified professional at least twice a year to ensure all appliances are operating at peak efficiency, says Steven Grover, vice president of the National Restaurant Association’s Health and Safety Regulatory Affairs Department. “Preventative maintenance will help ensure that your equipment is working at peak efficiency and save you the big cost of downtime from an unexpected failure,” he says.

A restaurant operator should also ask his or her utility company to audit the facility to uncover energy inefficiencies and make suggestions for cutting energy costs, recommends Kiesner.

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National Restaurant Association © Copyright. All rights reserved. Reprint with permission only.

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Ira Apfel is assistant editor for Restaurants USA Online.

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