The average energy consumption of different businesses can vary significantly based on the industry in which companies operate. This is due to significant differences in operational processes, amounts of downtime, equipment used and the buildings in which everything takes place. Before you compare business energy rates, it’s important to understand how and why certain industries will innately consume more or less energy than others.   This blog will offer a business energy comparison between various industries, highlighting where consumption differs, along with offering some tips for increasing energy efficiency in each of them.    Hotels Hotels fall into the category of high energy consumption industries for several reasons. Some studies suggest the average room in a small hotel uses 6,000 kWh of electricity and 18,000 kWh of gas a year – multiplied by the number of rooms, this makes for a hefty bill, even higher per room in larger establishments. Not to mention other factors like:    24/7 operation Hotel-wide HVAC requirements Lighting Kitchen energy consumption Massive laundry requirements   Business energy prices for hotels can be lowered with the use of smart thermostats, energy management systems, equipment/HVAC updates, eco-conscious practices and occupancy sensors. Check out this blog for further information.    Catering Trying to compare business energy rates across restaurants and catering companies depends on their sizes. Report shows that a smaller establishment will use between 15,000-25,000 kWh of electricity per year, with medium businesses using between 30,000 kWh and 50,000 kWh, with the figures being matched or exceeded in gas consumption. Catering businesses need energy for constant reasons like:    Refrigeration Cooking Ventilation Dishwashing   These costs can be lowered with more energy efficient equipment, demand-controlled ventilation, water-saving dishwashers and smarter kitchen layouts.     Manufacturing Business energy supply differs significantly between manufacturing sites, with larger, more advanced operations obviously using significant amounts more energy than smaller-scale grassroots facilities. However, it’s worth noting that average manufacturing plants spend 1-10% of their overall outgoings on energy for things like:    Heating  Machinery operation Compressed air systems   Using things like variable speed drives, optimising existing equipment, heat recovery systems and energy-efficient lighting will all make a difference.    Education The average school energy bill in 2024 was around £6,819 for 19,599 kWh, however this can vary significantly based on the number of students at a school and how advanced its facilities are. Energy consumption in schools is driven by:    Lighting Use of computer equipment HVAC In-house catering   Bills can be effectively managed with solutions like occupancy sensors, power-saving settings on computers, better insulation, and student/staff education on energy efficiency.    Retail The bright lights of retail (especially food-stocking) settings consume a lot of energy – around 700 kWh/m2 sales area in hypermarkets to more than 2000 kWh/m2 sales area in convenience stores – with refrigeration accounting for between 30% and 60% of the electricity used. Again, lighting sensors, dimmers anti-sweat heaters and other environmental technology can make a difference to the bills in these settings.    Care homes It’s easy to compare business energy tariffs in care homes. However, care homes come with unique challenges, including:    Specific temperature requirements Fixed/lower budgets Running specialised medical equipment   These settings can maintain energy efficiency largely by investing in quality equipment, practicing smart laundry techniques, training staff on energy-efficient practices and HVAC zoning between residents and employees.   Consider a new business energy supplier Whatever industry you operate in, the issue might be that you’re with the wrong supplier. You can effectively lower your bill or increase efficiency when you choose a business energy supplier with multiple options, including renewable variants like wind power. For more insights into the landscape of business energy supply, check out our blog today.

Energy consumption in manufacturing industries is always high, with some businesses spending over 10% of their production costs on energy. This is a concurrent truth with the fact that companies all over the world are looking for ways to be more environmentally conscious. With this in mind, the pursuit of energy-efficient manufacturing is becoming increasingly common.    This piece will explore how to reduce energy consumption in industry settings and generally increase efficiency, touching on everything from internal processes to switching business energy suppliers.    Being with regular business energy audits Before you start making the changes that will create manufacturing energy efficiency, you need to get a proper understanding of where you stand in the present day. This is achieved by enacting regular energy audits. These will highlight patterns of your business energy consumption, making it clearer where efficiency can be enhanced. Audits should continue throughout the pursuit of energy-efficient manufacturing.    Important steps in energy audits include:  Defining all the energy-consuming items in the facility Evaluating equipment performance Checking energy bills for inconsistencies, spikes and drops Comparing usage to other buildings or businesses (if possible)   These steps will make it much easier to make informed decisions and develop a clear action plan going forward.    Investing in more energy-efficient manufacturing equipment Energy efficiency in industrial processes is largely dependent on the quality of the equipment being used. Older, less smoothly-running equipment will generally operate less effectively and cost just as much if not more than newer, more efficient alternatives. Replacing or refurbishing equipment might take a fairly significant up-front investment, however, it should save money and increase performance in the long run.    Typical changes can include:   Optimising HVAC systems Using variable speed drives to optimise motor operations Installing energy-efficient LED lighting Replacing older motors   Again, this should be treated as an ongoing task – these replacements or improvements won’t last forever without proper maintenance.    Installing smart energy technologies This one is short, sweet and simple – using a smart meter and other smart energy technologies offers a clear pathway to energy-efficient manufacturing. Smart meters as part of an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) will offer clear insights into energy uses, while automation systems will improve the control of energy-consuming technologies. Best of all, these things can be tracked and controlled by software, offering actionable data insights for you to base decisions on.    Switching business energy suppliers Everything considered, you might just not be getting a very good rate. Choosing a better business energy provider can be a great way to improve your financial efficiency, while renewable sources like wind power are inherently more efficient for the environment. Electing to go renewable can also do wonders for a business reputation, helping to establish status as a company that cares.  For more insights into business energy topics, visit our blog today.