Energy Tips for Small Businesses

Refrigeration

• Perform scheduled maintenance on units, especially keeping evaporator coils clean and free of ice build-up.
• Adjust door latches, replace worn door gaskets, install autoclosers, and add strip curtains to walk-in doors.
• Use night covers on both vertical and horizontal display cases.
• Disconnect anti-condensate heaters.
• Keep refrigerators full to maintain temperature better (water jugs make good fillers).

Food Service Equipment

• Consider replacing some or all electric cooking equipment with comparably sized gas-fired equipment.
• Purchase insulated cooking equipment whenever possible (e.g., fryers, ovens, coffee machines).
• Preheat cooking equipment no longer and at no higher setting than the manufacturer's recommendation.
• Use cooking equipment to capacity. Fully loaded equipment utilizes energy more efficiently. Turn off unused and backup equipment during low production periods.
• Filter fryer oil at least once a day to extend the oil life.
• Don't overload fryer baskets beyond the recommended capacity. Overloading increases cook time.
• Where applicable, replace broilers with grooved or smooth griddles to significantly reduce the associated energy consumption.
• Make sure oven doors fit tightly and gaskets are in good condition.

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