Cut Your Power Costs by Up to 40% With Smarter Refrigeration Practices
Energy costs are rising—and refrigeration is one of the biggest contributors to your power bill. But the good news is, smart operational changes can reduce your refrigeration energy usage by up to 40% without compromising food safety or efficiency.
This guide outlines simple, practical strategies to maximise your refrigeration setup, reduce waste, and improve your bottom line. These recommendations are based on real-world practices we’ve implemented across hospitality and food service venues—and we have case studies available on request.
1. Maximise Your Primary Coldroom
Your coldroom is your most efficient refrigeration space. Make it your central storage hub.
Action:
Use the coldroom as your principal storage location—especially after hours. Consolidating your stock in one place allows you to shut down multiple smaller fridges overnight and improve stock rotation.
2. Kitchen Practices
Under-bench fridges are high-energy units—especially when left running overnight.
Action:
At the end of each shift, transfer all products from under-bench fridges to the coldroom.
Benefits:
- Turn off all kitchen fridges overnight
- Improve stock rotation
- Maintain cleaner fridges
- Save time on cleaning and restocking in the morning
3. Smarter Bar Operations
Most beverage stock is delivered unrefrigerated, and many items don’t need to be chilled until serving.
Action:
At the end of trade:
- Turn off all bar fridges
- Move dairy, juices, cut fruit, etc. to the coldroom
- Invest in a small domestic bar fridge for essentials (cheaper to run)
Tip: Refrigeration is a value-add, not a necessity for all beverage products.
4. Keg Room Management
Beer kegs are delivered at ambient temperature and don’t require full refrigeration.
Action:
- Maintain keg room temperatures under 20°C (ideal is 10°C)
- Modern systems can reach 2°C, but this is unnecessary
- Turn off keg rooms overnight if no perishable products are stored
Warning: Never store dairy or fresh produce in a keg room.
5. Freezer Room Efficiency
Freezer rooms are energy-intensive and require smart control.
Action:
- Avoid storing temperature-sensitive products like ice cream if the freezer will be turned off
- Schedule downtime:
- 1 x 6-hour period or
- 2 x 4-hour periods overnight
- Ensure all fans and defrost heaters are off
- Use the insulation and frozen state of products to maintain temperatures below -5°C
Key Principle:
Thawing only occurs in positive temperature environments. A sealed freezer at -5°C or below preserves product integrity.
6. Ice Maker Optimisation
Ice makers are often overlooked—but they can be operated more efficiently.
Action:
- Turn off monthly to clean and sanitise storage bins
- Use a chest freezer to store excess ice
- Consider selling bagged ice as an extra revenue stream
- Choose a machine with enough storage to operate only during off-peak hours
Bonus Tip:
Align operation with off-peak electricity pricing to save even more.
Savings You Can Measure
The strategies outlined in this guide can deliver real energy savings—up to 40% reduction in refrigeration power usage, backed by operational data and client results.
Want to see proof?
We can provide case studies on request showing measurable results from venues just like yours.
Let’s Make Refrigeration Work for You
Need help implementing these changes?
We offer site assessments, equipment audits, and remote monitoring solutions to help you maximise your energy savings without compromising safety or performance.
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