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.

Retail is an industry that consumes energy at a remarkable rate, especially in food-stocking stores. With bright lights for presentation, constant background music and of course, refrigeration, retail stores are really feeling the impact of the energy crisis in 2025. That’s not to mention the various reasons for the overarching cultural opinion of high streets getting worse – the financial impacts of which can be severe. Business energy conservation has never been more important for retailers trying to maintain operations.    This blog offers some guidance on reducing the monthly energy cost for small retail stores, so you can keep your doors open for years to come, even in a volatile energy environment.   Optimize lighting This is perhaps the most common piece of advice to help a business save energy, and for good reason. Replacing typical halogen bulbs with LEDs is an absolute must, while arranging the store to utilise natural lighting can also make a huge difference. A more comprehensive investment can be installing motion sensors and daylight sensors to adjust lighting based on traffic and natural light availability.    Rethink refrigeration Refrigeration generally accounts for between 30-60% of all electricity used in retail settings. If your retail shop energy rates are too high, the fridge could be the perfect place to make savings. The options here include:    Upgrading to higher-efficiency units Regularly cleaning the fridge’s condenser coils Ensuring any fridge doors are properly sealed Defrosting the freezers regularly Optimising the settings to avoid overcooling and over expending energy Installing night blinds and covers to insulate temperature on open displays Don’t feel the need to overfill your fridges Turn off fridge lights whenever possible HVAC heroism Retail settings need to be kept at temperatures with customers inside – it’s an important part of providing and overall agreeable experience – especially in food storage settings. Tools like programmable thermostats will adjust heating and cooling based on store hours and occupancy, ensuring temperatures aren’t unnecessarily altered outside of operating hours.    Again, much like fridges regular maintenance is your friend when it comes to HVAC systems. Older, less functional systems will work harder to set temperatures, therefore expending more energy. Filter cleanings and duct inspections will go a long way!   Zoning your HVAC applications across the store setting can also be useful, ensuring heating and cooling is only enacted the right way based on the specific needs of each area.   Proper insulation and ventilation Properly ventilating the setting and allowing for good ventilation during the summer can make all the difference. Make sure to invest in both fast fix solutions and more permanent alterations to the business fabric. These changes will work in conjunction with HVAC improvements to make a significant difference to temperature-based expenditure.    Changing tariffs or going renewable While not strictly a form of business energy conservation, changing tariffs or leaning into renewable energy, such as wind power, could be the adjustment that your business needs financially. The former could illuminate that you’ve been paying inflated costs, while the latter is more energy-efficient and sustainable by nature!  For more information about how changing tariffs or leaning into renewable energy could benefit your retail business, please contact our team!

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.

Business energy bills are a huge part of the outgoings of any business, costing thousands of pounds even for microbusinesses. On top of that, the demand for electricity alone increases by an average of 36% on winter days compared to summer. With this in mind, it’s important that businesses understand how to save energy throughout the colder months of the year. Beyond choosing the best business electricity supplier, there are plenty of energy saving tips that can be employed to reduce energy bills this winter. This blog will outline some of the most straightforward, intuitive ways, so you can enjoy the benefits of savings.   Lowering/programming the thermostat Reducing the temperature even by a couple of degrees can make a big difference to an energy bill. Wearing extra layers and warmer clothes has the potential to save you a significant amount on your bill. Alternatively, some thermostats can be programmed to adjust temperatures based on schedules and occupancy, to minimise heat wastage.   Encourage remote working If possible in the context of your business, winter is the best time to encourage remote working. By doing so, you can minimise the amount of energy used in the office throughout the season. The vast majority of global employees have a positive view of this practice, which means it can be an attractive option for them rather than having to journey through the cold to work.   Insulating your workplace Insulation is vital. While it might not be plausible to do full-blown structural insulation work, there are plenty of inexpensive DIY options that can make a difference when trying to retain heat and save energy. Some easy techniques include: Using a window film Installing heavier curtains and blinds then keeping them shut Foam and polystyrene insulation boards Placing draught excluders at the bottom of doors   These simple techniques can help you to stay under the average winter energy bill.   Audits & maintenance Making sure that all appliances are running properly is essential to ensuring your winter energy payment isn’t unnecessarily inflated. HVAC systems, taps and cooking equipment can all eat through energy when running even a little behind their best. Regularly check on appliances, clean them and book in/perform maintenance to ensure they’re all in their best possible form. Another easy thing to do is ensure that no unnecessary outlets are on when you’re out of the office.   Don’t let winter freeze you out Small businesses alike need to make efforts to save energy, otherwise they could bear the brunt of unrealistic costs. Beyond these tips, it’s also worth investing in energy-efficient technology and even applying for winter energy support if possible. Either way, the right techniques can keep your property in action, even in the coldest months. Check out our blog for more insights into energy consumption. Contact our friendly team for a quick quote to lower your business energy bills this Winter.