2 Simple Ways You Can Reduce Your Supermarket’s Energy Bill

Supermarkets run on razor-thin margins, so even the smallest savings can greatly increase your bottom line. It may surprise you to learn that one of your most controllable costs is your electricity bill. Here’s how you can save.

Upgrade Your Lighting

One of the biggest energy expenses for any small business is lighting. Your costs will depend both on how you use your lights and the kind of lights you select.

Does Dimming the Lights Save Energy?

Dimming the lights does save you energy. You wouldn’t leave the lights on when you leave a room at home, so do the same thing in your store.

You may think that dim aisles would be less appealing to customers, but automatic, motion-sensitive switches are becoming more common, so customers are already used to them. Because they’re aware of why your lights flicker on and off as they move through your aisles, they’ll also likely appreciate your store for doing its part to save the environment and keep their costs low.

While you may be concerned about light bulbs burning out sooner if they’re constantly turning on and off, this isn’t a concern with modern energy saving lighting. Newer bulbs are built to withstand repeated on/off cycling.

What Are the Different Types of Energy Saving Light Bulbs?

If you haven’t already, it’s time to ditch your old incandescent light bulbs. Not only are these light bulbs energy hogs, but they also run hot forcing you to spend more on air conditioning and refrigeration.

For your main overhead lighting and display lighting, you should make the switch from traditional fluorescent bulbs to LED bulbs as the base level of lighting throughout your store.

One additional benefit to LED bulbs is that they’re ideal for use with dimmer switches and motion sensors. They return instantly to full light when a customer enters an aisle, and if you want to dim them rather than turning them off at night for security purposes, you can adjust them with a single switch.

Use RK Energy Group for a Utility Bill Review and Electricity Rate Analysis

RK Energy Group can also help you find additional savings by reviewing your utility bills and conducting an electricity rate analysis. For example, we were able to save one New York City supermarket over $25,000 per year and free up critical monthly cash flows.

Utility Bill Review

We’ll compare your utility bill against industry standards for usage adjusted for your local climate. The goal is to find out if you’re wasting energy.

For example, your lighting could be inefficient, or old refrigerated cases could be running up your bill. If we do find abnormally high energy use, we’ll help you set up an energy efficiency audit to help you identify and fix the causes.

Electricity Rate Analysis

Even if you’re one of the industry leaders for energy efficiency, you may still have room to save by reducing your electric rates. With energy deregulation, you may be able to choose between multiple providers.

We’ll help you explore different rate structures such as fixed rates or peak/off peak pricing plans. If you’re willing to sign a long-term contract, you may even be able to lock your rates in for several years.

Finally, some governments are promoting switching to newer or more efficient energy providers, so you may be eligible for a reduction on the taxes added to your monthly bills.

TAKEAWAYS

1. Lowering your energy bill is one of the easiest ways to boost your supermarket profit margins.
2. Lighting is often one of the biggest drivers of energy costs.
3. RK energy may be able to help you find other ways to save or to reduce your rates.

Contact us now to schedule a consultation. You’d be surprised how much you can save with RK Energy Group!