Restaurants

Restaurants use more energy than most small businesses because many need a lot of refrigeration and hot water to function. Read the sections on refrigeration and water usage for ways to save energy in those areas, and follow the tips below for more restaurant-specific strategies.

• Consider reducing your frozen food inventory and consolidating it into fewer freezers. The fewer appliances you have plugged in, the less energy you use.
• Make sure your refrigerators are properly loaded. Overloaded units disrupt the airflow necessary to keep food cold, while underloaded units waste energy.
• If your restaurant uses a deep fryer, consider replacing an electric unit with one that runs on cheaper fuels like natural gas or propane.
• When using your dishwasher, combine partial loads whenever possible. The fewer total loads you wash, the less hot water and energy you use. The same holds true if you use a washing machine for table linens.
• As always, when selecting new appliances, choose ENERGY STAR. The energy savings they yield can translate into significant cost savings in the short-term and over the life of the machines.