Welcome to the entrepreneurial world of food! It is fast paced and can become very stressful if an owner does not possess the correct equipment for their kitchen area. Commercial fridges can be expensive for any environment but provide the protection between your produce and dangerous bacteria. However, there are alternative ways to avoid these dangers without spending too much money! This is how to save money on a fridge without breaking the bank.
Buy small, organise well!
For a business kitchen, it is not always necessary to buy the biggest fridge to accommodate your staff. Instead, buy a smaller product and keep it meticulously organised, as Compact Appliance advises. Not only will this lower your energy bills, it will also make it easier for any employee to find their food without injuring any of the produce inside. Without this organisation, the units of a fridge may be forced to work harder and potentially break down from overexertion. Avoid this costly damage of repairs by teaching your staff how to keep food storage neat and tidy!
Less waste, more money!
The European Union has defined the fridge as having “high potential” for saving energy, even up to around 60%. Thus, it is important to keep the energy wasted by a fridge to a minimum to decrease any maintenance costs. This could be by upgrading the fridge with LED lighting, automatic doors or even night covers to stop heat from entering the fridge’s interior. It is crucial to keep the cold protected from any heat that may infiltrate the fridge. This way it can be left on a lower power and, therefore, use less energy and the minimum amount of money for its upkeep.
Invest in the long-term
Whilst it can be tempting to go for the cheaper option of a business fridge, many of these appliances can lack the warranty and maintenance guidance that a more expensive brand can provide. Subsequently, if your appliance breaks down then the expenses can become more expensive than buying the fridge itself! Make sure to research into your fridge before purchasing, especially when observing the energy required to keep the machine functional. This can be through comparing different brands on an online energy comparer. The U.S. Department of Energy’s website provides further advice on energy saving.
Add a night cover!
For smaller freezers and fridges, such as an ice cream freezer or compact fridge, a way to save on their energy bills is to find a night cover! Although open display fridges can be useful for business, they do add up on the expenses. Adding a night cover over these fridges can trap in the cold air that was used from the day, making it unnecessary for any of the displays to be left running fully powered during the night. This can even cause an PG&E rebate of around £2.80 per linear foot, making it possible to save even more money! And this just from installing a few materials over any glass or double glazed material.
