Blog

Energy saving closedown guide

For Pubs & Restaurants closing for prolonged periods

The purpose of this guide is to assist the operators of pubs and restaurants in ensuring that their energy and water consumption is reduced as far as practically possible in businesses that are shutting for prolonged periods.

It has been prepared using advice from equipment suppliers and manufacturers but it is generic in its nature. If you have any doubts regarding specific equipment, then please contact us or your supplier for more information.

Equipment to leave on

Some equipment will normally need to remain on and operational, this includes:
  • Intruder Alarm
  • Fire Alarm
  • CCTV
  • Computer Systems
  • Internet routers
  • Telephone systems
  • Mobile phone masts (if fitted)
  • Security lighting
  • Insectocutors

Equipment to turn off

Heating / Cooling Systems
ItemComments
Central Heating System
  • Trade area, BOH can be switched off
  • Heating for any live on accommodation should be set to timed.

Note – heating needs to be turned off via the timer/main heating controls (usually by the boiler), if you just turn the room temperature thermostats down the boiler may still run.

AC Units
  • All AC units should be switched off, there could be multiple controllers.
Building Management System (BMS)
  • A BMS system is a technical system that can control all ventilation, heating, cooling and hot water in the business.

Before it is switched off it needs to be understood if it is connected to key items within thebusiness, these being:

  • Intruder Alarm
  • Fire Alarm
  • Sprinkler system
  • Pump sets
  • Landlords’ system

In this instance advice and clarification should be sought from either the Mechanical contractor that maintains the system or the Property/Maintenance Dept to understand the system in more detail.

  • If the installed system is not connected to any of the items listed above, all control switches can be switched to the “Off” position.
Hot Water
  • Switched off for all trading areas
  • If the site has live in accommodation hot water may need to remain on, usually hot water systems are shared between trade area and accommodation
  • Before hot water is used again, normal in house water safety temperature checks should be completed.

 

Trade Area
ItemComments
Lighting
  • All internal lighting, check display lighting etc
TV’s
  • Turned off where possible, if plug is not accessible leave in standby
AWP’s / Vending Machines
  • Switch off at plug
Over door heaters
  • There could be multiple units in different locations, all should be turned off
Extraction
  • Check extraction fans are off, listen for noises
Fairy Lights
  • There could be multiple sets

 

Bar
ItemComments
Bottle Fridges
  • Clean before switching off
  • Leave door slightly open
  • Clean and sanitise before the fridge is used again
Coffee / Expresso / Filter Machines & Grinders
  • If possible, isolate at power source, if not, turn off on the machine/s making sure machine/s are completely off (upper hot tray, boilers etc)
  • Clean machine/s when it is switched off
  • Clean and sanitise machine/s before it is used again
Water boilers
  • There could be multiple units
Milk fridge
  • Clean before switching off
  • Leave door slightly open
  • Clean and sanitise before the fridge is used again
Ice cream freezer
  • Defrost and clean before switching off
  • Leave door slightly open
  • Clean and sanitise before the freezer is used again
Ice cube/crushed ice machines
  • Empty and clean machine/s
  • If possible isolate water supply at back of machine/s
  • Clean and sanitise the machine/s before they are used again
Glasswashers
  • Run normal cleaning cycle on empty machine
  • Empty all water and clean machine
  • Clean and sanitise the machine/s before it is used again
  • There could be multiple machines
Slush machines
  • Empty and clean machines
  • Clean and sanitise the machine/s before they are used again
  • There could be multiple machines

 

Toilets
ItemComments
Lights
  • Check they are going off, may be controlled by PIR motion sensor or normal switch
Ventilation / Extraction
  • Check it is going off, may be connected to by PIR motion sensor, lighting normal switch or BMS system if installed
Taps
  • Make sure they are all off
Toilets
  • Check none are leaking or overfilling
Urinal Cisterns
  • If possible, turn water supply to urinal system off

 

Kitchen
ItemComments
Lights
  • Check they are going off, may be controlled by PIR motion sensor or normal switch
Fridges / Freezers
  • Condense food stock down into smallest number of machines possible, ideally to walkin fridge/freezer.
  • Clean before switching off
  • Make sure lights in walk-ins are off
  • Leave door slightly open
  • Clean and sanitise before the fridge is used again
Cooking equipment
  • Make sure all equipment is switched off e.g. Fryers, Chargrills, hot holding, ceramic heat lamps etc.
  • Clean all equipment and food cooking/preparation area thoroughly
  • Before the equipment is used again, clean and sanitise all equipment and food cooking/preparation areas thoroughly
Extraction System
  • Make sure all extraction and supply air fans are switched off, listen to make sure they are off
Dishwashers
  • Run normal cleaning cycle on empty machine
  • Empty all water and clean machine
  • Clean and sanitise the machine/s before it is used again
Dumbwaiters / Hoists
  • Clean all dumbwaiters/hoists
  • Check that any heat lamps/hot plates are turned off
  • Clean and sanitise before they are used again

 

Cellars
ItemComments
Beer line coolersSwitch beer line coolers off:

  • Complete a full thorough line clean as per normal procedures.
  • All taps, nozzles, keg couplers, cellar buoy’s to be cleaned and rinsed and left to dry
  • Pull plenty of fresh water through the lines (at least 10 pints per line)
  • Taps, nozzles, keg couplers, keg connections (to open barrels) should be sealed/covered with bags or cling film.
  • Compressor/Gas supply to beer pumps turned off.

Before the lines are used again:

  • A full thorough line clean should be completed, including, taps, nozzles, keg couplers etc.
  • Beer line coolers may take 24 hrs to get to correct operating temperature.

Note – If the business is closed for long period of time, every 2/3 weeks complete the following:

  • Plenty of fresh water should be pulled through all lines, this is to stop the water becoming stagnant and protect the line.
  • Beer line coolers should be turned on and left to operate for approx. 1 hour – They should not be left on for long periods of time with water in the lines.
  • Remember to turn compressor/gas pumps on if needed for line cleaning, turn off when complete.
  • Note – Beer line coolers with a digital controller have inbuilt time control, it is thought that if the power is lost for a period of time (1-2 weeks) the On/Off timed settings will be lost, and it will default to On, which will allow the coolers to work, time schedules can be re-set at a later date.
Cellar coolingInformation we have been given reference products is as follows:

  • Any un-opened keg product does not need to be chilled, best before dates need to be observed.
  • Any opened keg product should be used within 1 week of opening and/or before the best before date, the product does not need to be kept chilled.
  • Any cask product should be used before the best before date and needs to be kept chilled.

If you don’t have any in-date cask products the cellar cooling can be turned off.

Cellars should be cleaned thoroughly as soon as the business is closed, it should be thoroughly cleaned before it is used again.

Lights
  • Check they are going off, may be controlled by PIR motion sensor or normal switch

 

External
ItemComments
Patio Heaters
  • Power supplies should be isolated within the building so that the units are not powered in any way
Lighting
  • Review if external lighting is needed for security reasons etc, if needed, then adjust time control (if fitted) to suit.

 

Office
ItemComments
Lights
  • Check they are going off, may be controlled by PIR motion sensor or normal switch
Music amps
  • There may be multiple amps
Monitors
  • Switch off any monitors or standalone PC’s/Laptops
AC / Heating
  • Check any heating/cooling/extraction goes off correctly

 

Hotel Rooms
ItemComments
LightsCheck they are going off, they may be controlled by a card switch or normal light switch, check:

  • Bedside tables
  • Bathroom lighting
  • Corridors
  • Linen storage rooms
Heating / Air conditioning
  • Controls are all off and not on constant or Auto function
Taps, toilets, showers
  • Make sure all taps and showers are off, check toilets are not overfilling
Extraction
  • Check bathroom/ensuite extraction fans
Towel Rails
  • Heated towel rails to bathrooms, they may be separate electric units or part of the heating system
Trouser Press
  • Check they are all off

 

Storage & Redundant Areas
ItemComments
Lights
  • Check they are going off, may be controlled by PIR motion sensor or normal switch
Ventilation
  • Make sure all extraction and supply air fans are switched off, listen to make sure they are off

 

Water
ItemComments
Main water supply
  • If the business is not lived in and you know where the main incoming water supply stop cock is, it may be easier and beneficial to turn the water off to the business, this will stop any unnecessary water usage and any potential leaks.