Energy saving for manufacturing businesses

A successful manufacturing business is all about efficiency

Cut manufacturing energy bills by up to 20%

An engineer working on a manufacturing motor

Manufacturing motors

  • Install variable-speed drives in your fans and pumps
  • Invest in high-efficiency motors, as identified on the government's ETL (or Energy Technology Product List, ETPL)
  • Maintain motor systems by lubricating them and checking the belt’s tightness and alignment

Compressed air

  • Consider reducing the operating pressure of your compressed air
  • A 1-bar reduction could save about 7% of the energy
  • Switch compressors off when not in use

A compressor that’s left on but not used consumes up to 70% of its full load power

Gauges showing compressed air pressure
A man at work on a factory boiler

Factory heating and insulation

  • Recirculate the heat created by production lines to warm your premises
  • Ensure your boiler is regularly serviced and tuned
  • Check the insulation on hot and cold pipework and valve flanges
  • Use lids on process tanks, especially out of hours, to prevent evaporation loss

Energy consumption in UK industry increased by 4.2% in 2021

Factory lighting

  • Encourage staff to switch lights off when they’re not needed
  • Use movement detectors, time switches and daylight sensors
  • Label switches so it’s easy to see which one controls which light
  • Make the best use of natural light by opening blinds in the day
  • Replace traditional light bulbs with LED ones

Installing energy-efficient lights could reduce energy wastage through heat from 95% to just 5%

A workman in a well-lit factory
Refrigeration units in a manufacturing business

Refrigeration

  • Regularly defrost and clean fridges
  • Check that the seals on cold rooms and fridges are intact
  • Keep the condensers and evaporators on your fridges and cooling equipment clean
  • Only use the appliance size you need – smaller appliances are likely to be cheaper to run

When buying new refrigerators, A+++ is the most efficient rating

More advice from the Carbon Trust

The Carbon Trust helps organisations contribute to and benefit from a more sustainable future through carbon reduction, resource efficiency strategies and commercialising low carbon technologies.

Download their free guide which outlines energy cost saving ideas for manufacturing companies across all industry sectors and lists straightforward, low-cost measures and investment opportunities.

Saving tips for British Gas business customers

Pay by Direct Debit

Register for an online account and pay by Direct Debit.

Return to your online account and set up a direct debit.

Get a smart meter

A business smart meter can help you understand your energy usage.