Find the right gas and electricity tariff for your hotel, hostel, or B&B
Eco-friendly means being conscious of your hotel’s impact on the environment. But equally, any reduction in your water, gas or electricity usage will save money. When you have wages, services, maintenance costs and all sorts of other expenditures associated with running a hotel to invest in and make your business a tip-top experience, you don’t want to be pouring excess money into something as unexciting as energy bills. That’s why making your hotel eco-friendly and getting smart with energy go hand-in-hand.
What’s better than paying for energy? Supplying your own! Making your hotel self-sufficient is a sure-fire way to cut costs, and one of the best ways to do this is by installing solar panels. Sure, there’s an upfront cost, but you’ll reap the benefits in time.
An average UK home with a 5kW solar panel system will be looking at savings of around £320 a year on their bills. On a decent sized hotel you could fit a 50-100kW system without much trouble, saving many times that.
Not only that, but you could be eligible for government grants and may even be able to sell any surplus energy back to the grid.
You could also install a water tank to monopolise on our inevitable rainfall; this could then power your showers with the run-off then filling your toilet tanks. Think of it as your very own water cycle!
Around half of the average hospitality business’ energy usage is taken up by heating, so the most effective way to reduce costs is to have a fool-proof heating system.
Installing motion sensors on rooms for lights and timers for other appliances is a quick-and-easy way to ensure electricity is only used when needed. For a more rustic approach, look to switching to energy-efficient bulbs or optimising candlelight for an oh-so-lovely ambiance.
Washing machines and dryers are huge water and energy guzzlers. And while some guests crave the luxury of fresh linen every day, this isn’t a natural habit in day-to-day life. Instead of automatically changing linen and towels each day, simply ask your guests to notify you if they’d like their laundry washed.
Autonomy is no bad thing, and chances are your guests will be quite content with the same linen for a few days! Not only will you inspire customers to consider their environmental impact, you’ll save on energy and water bills. Win-win.
In the past, you might have been hard pushed to find an energy supplier that aligns with your business’ ethos. However, with increased market demand, increasing numbers of suppliers are placing environmental ethics front and centre in their business models.
There is now an abundance of providers who get their energy from 100% renewable sources, including wind, solar or hydro to name a few. And do you know what’s even better? Many of these providers are smaller, independent companies, who on the whole invest more in other important matters like customer service and retention. Therefore, you’ll not only be helping the planet, but you’ll be well supported in the event of any issues.
For more information, read our guide on green energy suppliers.
Our energy comparison service can bring you quotes from a range of business energy providers, including many with strong green credentials. Simply let us know a little about your hotel – it’s useful to have your current plan, consumption and a recent bill to hand – and we’ll show you quotes tailored to your needs.
Find out more: business energy deals for hotels.