Energy saving for retail businesses

Lighting in retail businesses

• Encourage staff to switch lights off when they’re not needed
• Use movement detectors, time switches and daylight sensors
• Install energy-efficient lights – LED lights could reduce energy wastage through heat from 95% to just 5%

Installing the right lights could reduce your lighting costs by up to 80%

Refrigeration in retail businesses

• Keep fridge doors closed whenever possible
• 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
• If fridges only store fizzy drinks, turn them off after hours
• 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

IT equipment

• IT equipment burns energy, even in standby mode
• Encourage staff to switch equipment off when not in use -  an average network of 15 computers costs around £7.50 every 24 hours
• Use the energy-saving features on things like monitors and printers

Turning computers and monitors off at night can save £35 a year per desk

Heating in retail businesses

• In warm weather, turn down the heating rather than opening the windows
• Close window blinds in the early evening to help reduce night-time heat loss
• Don’t use extra electric heaters – these are one of the most expensive heat sources
• Encourage individuals to turn down the thermostat radiators in their rooms - the optimum temperature in most offices is around 22°C
• Regularly service boilers and heaters to ensure they’re running efficiently 

Raising the temperature by just 1°C can increase your heating costs by approximately 8%

Upgrade your building

• Install self-adhesive thermal strips around doors and windows to reduce draughts – a door with a 3mm gap can let in as much cold air as a brick-sized hole in the wall
• Fit automatic closers on external doors e.g. fire doors
• Save potentially hundreds of pounds on your energy bill every year with roof insulation

In many buildings, around 18% of heat loss is through windows