Mini market, maxi savings

• Small businesses are always looking for ways to cut running costs
• Modern refrigeration and freezer units help one store save about € 2 000 a month on its energy bill

Goldenacre Mini Market is a convenience store located in Edinburgh, Scotland. Its best-selling items are chilled drinks. Like most convenience stores, the very nature of the business means long operating hours. That means high demand for store lighting and consequently high operating costs.

After an assessment of its energy usage, the store realised that there are a number of reasonably simple changes that can be made to save on energy.

Key results

Changing to energy efficient LEDs uses around 50 % less electricity than older lighting. Investing in modern freezer units is estimated to improve operating efficiency by around 30 %. Replacing open refrigerated display cabinets by closed units with transparent doors improves energy efficiency by a further 30 %.

After implementing the above measures, Goldenacre Mini Market managed to cut its energy bill by € 2 000 a month.