DESPITE COMPETITION from everything from binge drinking to smoking, energy costs have managed to muscle their way high on the news pages of The Publican on a regular basis over the past two years.
The Publican's Get Switched On campaign has helped to highlight practical steps for licensees to help tackle increasing costs. One source of support has been investment in energy efficiency by a number of major equipment suppliers.
It doesn't take too cynical a view to see that the drive behind this research and development has been as much about the attention being paid to by the regulatory authorities to companies whose products have an impact on carbon emissions as a burning desire to ease the burden on long-suffering publicans.
Nevertheless, pubs can see genuine financial benefits by investing in the right kit, and not just in reduced bills.
The ECA scheme
In January 2004, Foster Refrigerator launched the PRO G 600 cabinet, the first product to be listed on the Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA) scheme, which offers tax benefits for companies which invest in energy efficient equipment.
Products conforming to certain requirements on energy efficiency, performance and capacity can be ECA scheme-registered and appear on what is known as the Energy Technology List. Anyone purchasing equipment from the list is entitled to 100 per cent tax relief on their investment in the first year.
Foster Refrigerator currently has over 20 commercial service cabinets listed on the scheme - double that of any other manufacturer - and all Foster's products have been independently tested to ensure they meet the scheme's strict criteria.
John Savage, food service director at Foster Refrigerator, said:"Choosing refrigeration from the Energy Technology List can be an enormous benefit for a business as the tax saving is made up front in the first year.
"This delivers a significant cash flow boost over and above the long term savings on energy costs that will result from purchasing one of these products."
Increasing efficiency
John cautions that pubs should remember that not all fridges are the same and technology changes quickly. Refinements made to the PRO G 600 over the past three years mean that it is now 40 per cent more efficient than when it was launched.
Foster believes that its investment in R&D means the PRO G 600 cabinet is one of the greenest fridges in the world in terms of energy efficiency and environmental impact. Take up by the industry seems to indicate that it also does the job, with the fridge widely used by pubs, as well as hotels, restaurants, and school and hospital kitchens.
For a full list of products covered by the ECA scheme, visit www.eca.gov.uk/etl
Energy and environmental developments of the PRO G 600 cabinet include:
- A Smart Controller which can reduce energy consumption by 10 per cent intelligently working out how the fridge is being used
- A fan cut-out switch which stops cool air being blown out and hot air being drawn in when the door is open
- A hydrocarbon refrigerant option, at no extra cost, which can reduce energy consumption by up to 15 per cent and offers zero ozone depletion potential
- Energy efficient design which saves more than eight per cent energy in itself
- 60mm all-round insulation which reduces heat loss and improves energy efficiency
- Floor to ceiling air ducts distribute the cold air evenly and maintain temperature
- More than 98 per cent of the materials used to produce the PRO G 600 are recyclable
All cabinets are tested by injecting helium gas during manufacture to ensure zero refrigeration gas leaks. As helium molecules are smaller, any potential gas leaks can be corrected - even the slightest leak can double energy consumption.
They are manufactured to ISO 14001 standard, which covers the environmental impact of the product life cycle from manufacture to disposal.