Fuel for thought: How to reduce energy costs and boost your green credentials

The vast majority of hospitality businesses realise the wider business benefits of reducing energy consumption, but far fewer are taking the steps required to put an energy efficiency strategy in place.

According to research carried out by The Caterer in partnership with E.ON, 84% of hospitality operators want to reduce their overall energy consumption, but only 42% think having an energy efficiency strategy is an immediate concern.

Unsurprisingly, cost of energy (70%) and running costs (66%) continue to be the main drivers behind a business’s energy policies, followed by customer pressure to be more ‘green’ (33%).

The research also revealed that the take up of electric vehicle (EV) charging points was gaining momentum. Just over a quarter of businesses thought they were growing in importance among their customers and give them a competitive edge to attract business, with 23% saying it was valuable in this industry to be (and be seen to be) more sustainable and adopting more environmentally friendly behaviours, including EV charging.

E.ON customer account director Richard Oakley said: “It’s an unstoppable force, and an ever-increasing opportunity for those who have the ability to offer charging points. Particularly where hotels are concerned, I can see a point where people view the availability of EV charging just like WiFi.

“For the business that gets ahead of the curve and starts to consider installing EV charging points, it will be a differentiator that helps mark it out from the competition by attracting and retaining customers. It’s still in its infancy, but I think the pace of acceleration will be enormous.”

The Torridon by Achnasheen in Wester Ross has invested in EV charging to cater for the increasing number of guests exploring the area in electric vehicles.

Operations manager Ross Aitchison said: “We have a universal charger and a specialised Tesla one. When we installed them three years ago, not many people used them, but now a huge amount of people do.”

For the full report and to learn how to take advantage of EV charging, visit www.thecaterer.com/energyresearch