Quick wins for Hospitality and Tourism

• Go through your energy bills with your supplier so you understand any penalty charges and how they can be reduced or avoided and consider any guidance or suggestions for reducing your bills
• Light switches should be clearly marked indicating to staff which areas they control and which lights should be switched off in vacant rooms (or left on for guest comfort and safety)
• Lamps, reflectors and covers should be cleaned regularly to maximise light output
• Replace standard incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and use ‘warm-white’ models (CFLs can provide energy savings of up to 75%)
• Boilers should be serviced at least annually to ensure efficient and safe operation as a poorly maintained boiler can often use 10% more energy than necessary and may also be less reliable
• Use a digital thermometer to make sure that temperature set points are correct, because heating costs increase by about eight percent for each 1degC overheating
• Switch kitchen appliances off when not required and have ’warm-up’ time information on larger catering equipment
• Make sure set points are appropriate e.g.heating should be set to go off at 19 degC and the ideal set point for cooling buildings is 24 degC
• Always replace plant and equipment with high efficiency options, use SEAI’s Accelerated Capital Allowances list as a starting point