Business Gas and Electricity News

7 Mistakes Restaurants Make When Using Business Gas and Electricity

30 March 2017

7 Mistakes Restaurants Make When Using Business Gas and Electricity

Gas and electricity is essential to the smooth running of your restaurant, but that doesn’t mean you must accept high prices. In fact, there are things you might be doing that results in gas and electricity costing you more than you really need to pay. Here are our seven mistakes that restaurants make when using business gas and electricity.

1) Ending Up on a Rollover Contract

When your fixed term contract is coming to an end, your gas or electricity supplier will write to you with details of a rollover contract. This is not an offer, however. Instead, it’s information on what will happen to your contract if you don’t act. In other words, if you don’t tell your energy supplier that you want to terminate the contract, it’s assumed you have accepted it. This will normally lock you into another fixed term.

It’s always best to compare the prices of gas and electricity as your existing contract comes to an end so you can switch to a better deal.

2) Not Maintaining Boilers

Without regular servicing, your boiler will run inefficiently. This will cost you more as it will need more gas to run. You should always get your boiler serviced according to the recommended schedule. This is usually once a year.

3) Not Maintaining Kitchen Equipment

It is also worthwhile getting essential gas powered kitchen equipment checked regularly to ensure they are running efficiently and safely.

4) Running the Temperature Too High in the Restaurant

When was the last time you checked the thermostat in the dining area of your restaurant? It could be set too high but even if it is set at a reasonable temperature, you might still be able to lower it. In many situations, it is possible to reduce the temperature by about one degree Celsius without affecting the comfort of your diners. In addition, you can experiment with turning the heating off earlier, i.e. 30 minutes before the restaurant closes rather than after it closes. Of course, you will have to monitor closely how this impacts comfort levels.

5) Leaving Equipment Running When Not Required

This usually happens in the kitchen of your restaurant, or with IT equipment. One of the major offenders in the kitchen is extraction hoods – encourage your staff to switch these off when they are not being used. The same applies to IT equipment including office computers and point of sale equipment.

Another thing you should consider switching off when not in use is refrigerators used to store non-perishable goods. One of the best examples of this in a restaurant is fridges storing soft drinks.

6) Not Insulating Hot Water Pipes

A large amount of heat is lost from pipes that are not insulated. This is normally low-cost and straightforward to rectify.

7) Not Checking Fridge Seals

When cool air is lost through damaged or worn fridge seals, it costs more to keep the fridge cool. You should check seals regularly and repair them if required.

Finally, here’s a bonus tip – get your staff to buy-in to your energy saving efforts. You can do this through training, policies, and staff awareness. Incentive schemes can also help.