Hospitality is one of the hardest industries to turn a profit in, with heavy operational/labour costs and seasonal fluctuations only accounting for some of the challenges faced by owners. Guest-hosting businesses also use a lot of business electricity and gas, increasing overheads even more. In fact, over 30% of all hospitality businesses considered energy bills their primary concern in the summer of 2023. This makes the importance of proper energy management in hospitality industry settings as clear as day.    How rising energy costs are impacting restaurant businesses Restaurants are arguably feeling the impact of the energy crisis harder than most of the industries in the UK. In fact, over half of eateries polled by Favouritetable have cited recently that they’ve had to increase their prices to keep up with the inflated monthly costs of electricity and gas. Similarly, many businesses are reducing their operating hours, sometimes by as much as two days a week, to pay less to energy companies.   For many, national and regional energy costs for restaurant businesses in the UK will be the different between staying open or closing for good.    Energy management and saving techniques in hospitality With bills looming so threateningly over restaurants and other venues, hospitality professionals need to utilise some energy management and saving techniques to ensure they can continually offer high-quality services.    Optimising equipment and techniques. Old cookers, pans and other equipment can lead to a lack of energy efficiency, ultimately increasing the overall energy bills incurred by a kitchen.  Finding & negotiating better contracts. In many cases, a hospitality business could be suffering under overcharged bills because of a lack of awareness of a good electricity or gas tariff. Shopping around could make all the difference.   Choosing renewable energy. Renewable energy such as wind power is generally much cheaper per kWh when compared to traditional fossil fuel-powered options – going eco-friendly might be your financial saviour! Menu engineering. Choosing to include items on a menu that require less cooking/energy to prepare can decrease energy bills. Who knew steak tartare could be so helpful! Utilising smart meters & technology. Smart meters are an essential in every home or business setting, ensuring bills are accurate and you can adjust your energy use in real time. Appliances like motion sensor lights can also help to reduce expenditure.  Training & informing staff. Make sure that your staff are made aware of efforts to reduce energy usage and train them in basic techniques that they can apply to their daily processes. Energy-efficient lighting & HVAC. Lighting and HVAC can consume less energy with smart devices like sensors, along with basic changes clearing out the systems or choosing energy-efficient bulbs.    Finding the right solution for energy management in hospitality If you’re leaning towards finding a new tariff or switching over to renewable energy, why not give us a visit at D-Energi. We’re proud business energy suppliers with a passion for supporting companies of various sizes, whether with competitive gas tariffs, electricity or 100% UK wind power.  Contact our team today to learn more.

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.

The Market-wide Half Hourly Settlement (MHHS) Programme is a new initiative led by various industry participants, sponsored by the government in the form of Ofgem, focused on trying to help the UK transition to a flexible, clean retail electricity market.    We’ve put together this piece to give a more general overview of the programme, potential benefits of MHHS to your business and how it’s working to contribute towards the goals of Net Zero – hopefully by its goal date of May 2027!   What is MHHS going to do? The core mechanism at the centre of the MHHS programme is the concept of accurate usage data being sent to energy providers every half hour from smart meters, enhancing efficiency for suppliers, reducing bills for customers and increasing general innovation across the industry. MHHS is also focused on reducing our carbon footprint in the effort to reach Net Zero.     Who is bringing MHHS to life? Of course, Ofgem, significant participants in the Net Zero scheme, are sponsoring the programme, however, there are many other parties taking part in the rollout of MHHS.    Elexon One of the most prevalent is Elexon – leading delivery as Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) and MHHS Implementation Manager (IM).   Retail Energy Code Company This non-profit organisation runs and operates the UK retail energy code. They’re ensuring that MHHS processes operate within these rules of operation in the market.    The broader industry Much like Net Zero, the programme can only roll out successfully with the participation of many other industry bodies. This means suppliers, agents and distinct service providers getting involved in everything from development to final decision-making.    With these leaders running the show and the participation of countless UK parties, the MHHS programme should be well on its way to achieving its timely goals.   What will the benefits of MHHS be for your business? The benefits of the MHHS are intended to span far and wide, encompassing economic to environmental and everything in between. In terms of how it might benefit your business, the top benefits will include:   Businesses will use smart meters to have a better opportunity to measure, analyse and understand their energy consumption, allowing for better efficiency at a granular level This access to granular data will allow businesses to better manipulate said data, such as creating visualisations for presentations and investment opportunities The accurate, timely settlements from half-hourly meter reads will help businesses to understand consumption, predict demand and generally lower their energy bills  All of these elements will contribute towards improved business efficiency, allowing companies to contribute effectively in the transition to Net Zero   To gain accurate half-hourly data insights to help manage your energy, the first step is getting your smart meter from D-ENERGi.  At this stage, the MHHS programme is in the testing phase, well on its way to begin the real rollout of smart meters and more in September 2025 lasting 18 months for full operations by May 2027. If you’re more interested in learning about the industry from a real contributor to clean energy, check out our blog today.

There are around 17,000 care homes in the UK and they all need a reliable supply of energy. However, care home energy concerns can get in the way of proper care provision, especially with public spending declining regularly. The challenges facing care homes span far and wide, especially in the case of non-profit and NHS-run organisations.  In this piece, we’re going to focus on the concerns surrounding energy when running a care home, expanding on why they’re so relevant and offering some insight into how they might be solved.    Fixed budgets Having a limited budget is a widespread concern, especially in council-run care homes. Countless different elements contribute to care home energy costs, making it hard for smaller operations to keep up with bills. Alongside energy bills, care homes also have to pay for:    Staffing different departments Food for residents and staff Building mortgages/rent Any entertainment elements (TV packages/streaming services) Rare & regular care home maintenance jobs   Keeping up with all of these costs, alongside energy bills, can be challenging with a smaller budget. Having to prioritise certain elements over others is a painful process that will ultimately have a negative impact on the residents.    Comfort & climate The elderly residents of care homes are far more vulnerable to low temperatures, which can drive up energy bills considerably. Running a care home requires warmth, and with heating bills impacting everyone in the country, the crisis is particularly impactful on these operations.    Maintaining quality of care As touched upon above, running a care home involves a lot of moving parts, which is why energy bills amid the crisis can make it a lot harder to maintain a certain standard of care. Being under financial instability makes it harder for care homes to operate in general, which in turn can discourage people from choosing specific homes, contributing to a cycle of financial strife.    Tips for combatting rising care home energy costs With energy costs so high, it’s important to understand how to become more efficient when running a care home. This will make it easier to manage the bills and ensure high level of care quality.    Invest in better insulation for the property – it will cost money in the short term but save on the amount of heating required in the long run  Use smart technology such as smart LED lightbulbs, thermostatic radiator valves and smart thermostats to minimise unnecessary consumption Generally installing more energy efficient appliances and technologies, such as kettles (sure to see a lot of action in a care home!) Switch to a greener energy source such as solar or wind power – these renewable sources are generally cheaper and more efficient    If you’re facing challenges with a care home energy budget, it could be time to switch tariffs to a different provider. By choosing a business energy provider like D-ENERGi, you could find a more sustainable, more competitive priced alternative to your current provision. Check out our site for more information and keep caring!  Talk to our experts today for competitive business energy quotes today!