While most people think of food costs when they are thinking of opening a restaurant, many people find it hard to calculate what their overhead expenditures for things like utilities will be.
Essentially everything in your restaurant will use power in one way or another, even when you are not open for business.
Utility Costs Are More Than You Think
The reality is that utilities can often be one of the worst expenses for owners. In fact, restaurants often spend 3 to 5% of their total operating costs on electricity alone! This comes out to approximately $2.90 per square foot in electricity, and another $0.85 per square foot on natural gas.
So, where does all that energy use come from? Lights, your HVAC system, and your equipment.
Since most restaurants operate on pretty thin margins, your gas and electric bill can really cut into profits.
Energy Conservation Matters
While you might be experiencing a little bit of sticker shock, there is some good news! Since electricity accounts for such a large portion of your utilities overhead, that means there is a lot of room to cut back on those costs.
Even saving 10% or 20% on your power bill could free up a lot of cash.
For more information on how you can cut back, be sure to read about the newest trends for reducing your power bill.
Easy Ways To Conserve Energy
If you think it’s time to invest in reducing your energy consumption, there’s no better time to start than now. The easiest thing to fix is to change your lighting to more energy efficient bulbs; while this may be a larger upfront investment, it could save you a lot in the long term.
Another easy fix is to update your appliances to energy efficient models – restaurants use 5-7 times more energy than other commercial buildings. You could also install an energy management system to help manage costs.
However, the best way to cut back on your energy spending is to rely on the help from a professional. At GWT2Energy, we believe in creating customized energy plans that will help you save up to 25% on your power bill.
In fact, we have spent over 20 years learning how to maximize energy savings, and can apply it to your business.
You have a business to run. Let us run it more efficiently for you.
