Hotel Energy Efficiency Guide

It’s no secret that hotels are expensive to run. With many having restaurants, gyms, and other services incorporated into their grounds, overheads are bound to be high. It is estimated that the annual energy costs for the hotel sector exceed £1.3 billion ^[1]

Many hotel owners worry that energy saving could compromise the comfort of their guests. This isn’t always the case. There are several ways in which you can implement energy saving measures and still provide your guests with great service.

In this guide, we’ll outline some ways in which you can increase the energy efficiency of your hotel or bed and breakfast, to reduce your overheads and boost your business’ green credentials.

Why is energy efficiency important for hotels?

Energy efficiency is important for all businesses. Failure to use energy efficiently could result in significantly high energy bills and excessive carbon dioxide emissions.

Hotels are ranked in the top 5 for energy consumption within the tertiary building sector ^[1]. Although high energy costs are inevitable for many businesses within the hospitality sector, government research shows that some large enterprises could save over £250 million per year on energy costs by lowering their energy consumption by just 1%. So, by implementing energy saving measures, you could boost your savings and have more funds to invest in your business.

It has also been estimated that hotels and other types of hospitality businesses account for 2% (of the 5%) of the tourism sector’s global carbon emissions ^[2]. Hotel businesses should therefore improve their efforts to increase their energy efficiency. Not only could this help with environmental sustainability, but this could also help to boost your green credentials and provide you with an opportunity to stand out from your competitors.

Which areas should hotels focus on to increase energy efficiency?

Hotels use energy excessively in a number of ways. To find out which areas your business can improve in for energy efficiency, we recommend conducting an energy audit.

Typically, hotels tend to struggle with energy efficiency in the following areas:

• Insufficient insulation
• Window fittings (bad condition or poorly fitted)
• Lack of modern central heating systems
• Victorian style bathrooms and fireplaces
• No LED lighting
• Unsuitable energy tariffs

How to increase your hotel’s energy efficiency

Energy efficiency, combined with a suitable energy tariff, can help to keep your energy bills as low as possible.

To help you boost your hotel’s energy efficiency, we recommend the following measures:

Heat the space efficiently

40% of a hotel’s energy bill is typically spent on heating ^[3]. You could therefore reduce your energy costs significantly by heating your spaces efficiently. To do this, we recommend setting your thermostat to the lowest comfortable temperature; 21°C is usually suitable.

Granted, it can be difficult to monitor and regulate the heating in guests’ rooms. However, having the temperature readily set to a comfortable (and efficient) degree can help to lower the likeliness of them needing to make changes.

We also suggest that you invest in an energy-efficient boiler system for your business. Not only could an efficient boiler provide a better quality of heating, but it could also reduce your energy consumption.

Insulate the premises

Bad insulation can lead to excessive heat loss. This can place extra pressure on your heating system and cause high energy bills. To prevent this, you could insulate areas such as your walls, roof and flooring to help the building retain heat.

Bonus tip: Investing in double glazing for your windows is another effective way to help reduce heat loss in your hotel.

Purchase energy-efficient appliances

The appliances you purchase for your hotel have a great impact on your energy consumption and consequently, your bills. It is therefore essential that you invest in energy efficient products to help keep your energy usage as low as possible. Remember, cheap items may provide short term savings, but they could end up costing you more in the long run!

To help you identify which appliances have high-efficiency ratings, you should pay attention to products’ energy labels. These labels rate electronics from A-G to tell you whether a product is efficient or inefficient.

Invest in smart controls

Smart devices are designed to help you monitor and control your energy usage in a more convenient way.

For example, with a smart meter, you could keep track of your energy consumption and identify areas for efficiency improvement. The device could also provide you with your consumption data in pounds and kilowatt hours. In addition, a smart meter will send automatic meter readings to your supplier, so you’ll no longer need to send them manually.

To increase your heating efficiency, you could invest in a smart thermostat. This gadget allows you to make changes to your heating from anywhere. You could also access and control the thermostat using an interactive app on your smartphone.

Finally, hotels could benefit from using smart key cards in guest rooms to prevent energy wastage when spaces are unoccupied.

Use water more efficiently

Hotels also tend to spend a large amount of energy and funds on heating water. To improve this, you could invest in water saving appliances like efficient shower heads, tap aerators and low/dual flush toilets. We also recommend that you get any dripping or leaking taps fixed as quickly as possible. The Energy Saving Trust estimates that a dripping tap could waste over 5,000 litres of water a year ^[4]!

In addition, you should ensure that your boiler and pipework are effectively maintained and serviced to help prevent any expensive leakages or breakdowns. You could also insulate your pipes and hot-water cylinder to keep water heated for longer periods, this can help to further reduce your consumption.

Use energy efficient lighting

Last but certainly not least, energy efficient lighting can help you save significantly on your energy bills. Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are highly efficient and energy saving. They use 90% less energy than standard incandescent lights. They’re also longer lasting, so you could save on purchase costs.

Reduce your energy bills even further by switching suppliers

A suitable energy tariff is equally important as energy efficiency if you want to reduce your hotel’s energy bills.

An energy tariff with high rates will cause expensive bills, regardless of whether you implement energy saving measures or not.

To help boost your savings and keep your energy costs low, we recommend switching energy suppliers. By getting a cheaper deal for your business’ gas and electricity, you can lower the amount you are charged for your hotel’s running costs.

To find a cheaper energy tariff, try our free comparison tool today. We’ll compare some of the best deals available on the market and provide you with quotes for suitable tariffs for your business.

All you have to do is enter your business’ postcode, contact details and some brief information about your energy requirements, and in just a few moments, you’ll receive your free quote.

Get in touch with us today.

 

[1] https://www.gazprom-energy.co.uk/blog/an-energy-saving-guide-for-hotels/

[2] https://www.unwto.org/hotel-energy-solution

[3] https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/why-water-efficiency-matters/

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