Refrigeration Energy Saving Guide — How to Cut Your Power Bill by Up to 40%

Energy costs are going up, and refrigeration is one of the biggest users of electricity in any food or hospitality business. The good news is that some simple changes to how you run your refrigeration can make a real difference to your power bill.

This guide covers practical steps you can take right now. These are things we have seen work in real venues across Sydney. Case studies are available on request if you want to see the numbers.

1. Turn Off Under-Bench Fridges Overnight

Under-bench fridges use a lot of energy, especially when they are left running all night with little or no stock in them.

At the end of each shift, move all products from under-bench fridges into the cool room. Then turn the under-bench fridges off.

This gives you a few extra benefits as well:

Stock rotation improves because everything comes out of one central location
Fridges stay cleaner because they are not running continuously
Restocking in the morning is quicker and easier

2. Run Bar Fridges More Smartly

Most drinks delivered to a bar arrive at room temperature. Not everything needs to be kept cold all the time.

At the end of trade each night:

Turn off all bar fridges
Move anything that needs to stay cold — dairy, juices, cut fruit — into the cool room
Consider keeping one small bar fridge running for essential items overnight. A small domestic bar fridge is much cheaper to run than a full commercial bar fridge

Refrigeration adds value to a product. Not every product behind the bar needs it around the clock.

3. Manage Your Keg Room Temperature

Beer kegs are delivered at room temperature. They do not need to be ice cold — they just need to be kept below a certain temperature to stay in good condition.

A keg room temperature of around 10 degrees Celsius is ideal. Modern systems can go as low as 2 degrees, but this is not necessary and uses more energy than needed.

If there are no perishable products stored in your keg room overnight, consider turning it off during those hours.

One important note: never store dairy or fresh produce in a keg room. These products need a different temperature range to stay safe.

4. Use Your Freezer Room More Efficiently

Freezer rooms use a significant amount of electricity. There are ways to reduce this without putting your stock at risk.

You can schedule periods where the freezer room is turned off overnight. A well-insulated freezer room with a full load of frozen product will hold temperature well below zero for several hours without the system running.

As a guide:

One block of six hours overnight, or
Two blocks of four hours overnight

This works because thawing only happens when the temperature reaches above zero. A sealed, well-stocked freezer room sitting at minus five degrees or below will keep your product safe during planned downtime.

Avoid storing temperature-sensitive products like ice cream if you plan to schedule freezer downtime overnight.

5. Get More Out of Your Ice Machine

Ice machines are often overlooked when it comes to energy saving, but there are a few simple things you can do to run them more efficiently.

Turn the machine off once a month to clean and sanitise the storage bin
Store excess ice in a chest freezer rather than leaving the machine running to make more than you need
Choose a machine with enough storage capacity so it only needs to run during off-peak hours
If your electricity plan has off-peak pricing, time your ice machine to run during those hours

If your venue produces more ice than you use, selling bagged ice is worth considering as an extra revenue stream.

6. How Much Can You Actually Save?

The steps in this guide can reduce your refrigeration energy use by up to 40 percent. That is based on real results from venues we have worked with, not estimates.

If you want to see what that looks like in practice, we can provide case studies on request showing actual results from similar businesses.

Need Help Getting Started?

Some of these changes are simple to make straight away. Others may need a review of your current setup to make sure they work for your specific equipment and venue.

BM Refrigeration offers site assessments and equipment audits for businesses across Sydney CBD and the greater Sydney area. We can look at your current refrigeration setup and identify where the biggest savings are.

Get in touch with our team today to book a site assessment.

Frequently Asked Questions — Refrigeration Energy Saving

Yes, provided the products inside are transferred to the cool room first. Under-bench fridges and bar fridges that are emptied at the end of each shift can be safely turned off overnight. This is a common practice in well-run hospitality venues and can significantly reduce power costs.

Not if it is done correctly. A well-insulated freezer room with a full load of frozen product will hold a safe temperature for several hours without the system running. The key is to make sure the temperature stays well below zero throughout the off period. We recommend monitoring temperatures if you plan to try this approach.

This varies depending on how many smaller fridges you are currently running overnight. In venues where multiple under-bench and bar fridges are left running through the night, the savings can be significant. Some venues we have worked with have reduced their refrigeration energy use by up to 40 percent through this approach alone combined with other changes.

Off-peak electricity pricing means electricity costs less during certain hours, usually overnight. If your energy plan includes off-peak rates, scheduling energy-intensive equipment like ice machines to run during those hours reduces the cost of running them. Check with your electricity provider to find out what rates apply to your business.

Yes. We carry out site assessments and equipment audits for businesses across Sydney and can identify practical changes that will reduce your power costs without affecting food safety or service. Get in touch to arrange a visit.