These incentives go straight to your bottom line, while the steps you take provide continuous benefits for your operation and the environment.

Energy conservation is a hot topic these days, from restaurants to cafeterias, to university dining halls. A recent Energy Star survey found that restaurant owners could increase profits up to 30 percent by simply going green in the kitchen. These 10 savings tips will help you reduce your energy bill while maximizing profit dollars.   

1. Turn it off – Just like leaving the lights on in your home, leaving equipment to run idly will cost you hundreds of dollars for unused energy. By turning off your inactive equipment, you can save energy and plenty of cash on your next gas, electric or water bill. For those times when you forget to turn off equipment after closing, electrical timers can be placed on outlets to automatically turn off equipment when you are not around. Typical equipment left on overnight or during idle kitchen hours are griddles, French tops, ranges, convection ovens and dish machines.

Energy Saver No. 1: Even if you remember to turn off some equipment, other side tools are often forgotten. For instance, after you turn off your dish machine, don’t forget to turn off the booster heater.

Energy Saver No. 2: You can’t turn the whole griddle off, but you can turn off some of the burners during slower business hours. Turn off all the griddle burners except one for off-peak hours.

2. Review your lighting – Areas such as walk-in coolers or your dry storeroom don’t need to be illuminated all day long. Turning off lights as you leave typically unused areas is a great way to save money on your energy bill. Again, electrical timers can be used in these areas. The kind of lighting you use makes a significant difference in your energy consumption, too. Fluorescent lighting uses one-fourth to one-third less energy than normal bright lights. Replacing bulbs with efficient options will show a lower cost in your monthly bill.  

3. Reduce water consumption – The U.S. Green Building Council has developed LEED certification, a national standard for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings, which in turn generates energy savings. When replacing kitchen equipment, make sure to purchase products that contribute to these new standards to help you reduce energy costs.

Energy Saver No. 3: Replace older faucets with the newly developed models that conserve water without compromising performance.

Energy Saver No. 4: Using a standard dishwasher to clean dishes is sufficient for glassware and other kitchen equipment. Don’t pre-wash dishes. It is often unnecessary, wasting water and energy and increasing operational costs.

4. Make your menu more efficient – Items that need to be thawed for daily food service can be defrosted in a refrigerator overnight instead of under running water, reducing energy usage and conserving water. Review your menu to see if there are common ingredients or items that can all come from one source. If you minimize the number of individual deliveries you receive weekly you will add to your conservation practices and reduce your delivery expenses, as well as receiving time. 

5. Keep equipment properly maintained – Keeping equipment maintained helps eliminate breakdowns that cause downtime when you may need to use an inefficient cooking method as an alternative until your equipment is repaired or replaced.

Energy Saver No. 5: Delime your steamer regularly to save energy by making your boiler run as efficiently as possible and extending your equipment life.

6. Always keep equipment clean – Setting up a nightly cleaning routine will help you keep equipment running properly so ranges, ovens and refrigerators perform at their peak efficiency. Clogged burners, for instance, use more energy to heat and cook food. By unclogging burners, your range will use less energy to work at maximum performance. Gaskets on kitchen ovens become cruddy and build up residue that intrudes on the seal between the rubber and the metal. Allowing outside air to enter the oven requires more energy to keep the oven temperature set. Keep ovens and their doors clean to allow them to heat more efficiently.  

7. Close the door – Busy kitchen staff may often forget to do the simplest of energy efficient steps. Leaving oven doors open releases vast amounts of heat. Each time you open an oven door the temperature can drop by as much as 25-degrees F; watch the clock and use a timer instead. Don’t leave the convection oven or steamer door open too long or it will just continue to release heat, burning unnecessary energy to retain the proper cooking temperature.       

Energy Saver No. 6: If doors such as the walk-in cooler are consistently left open, place spring hinges on the doors and they will automatically close, eliminating the opportunity for staff to forget to shut them.

8. Optimize equipment capacity – Smaller-volume kitchens can use smaller-capacity equipment. For instance, steaming small portions of vegetables can be done in the microwave instead of a large capacity steamer. When choosing among product manufacturers and standard size equipment, purchase only the size that you need to maximize output while minimizing energy usage. Large production equipment isn’t needed if the kitchen doesn’t have a high volume of customers.  Buy equipment that is Energy Star certified. This is a quick and easy way to identify equipment that will keep energy costs down but still provide a quality cooking experience.

Energy Saver No. 7: When washing dishes in a dishwasher, only run the machine when it is full. This will limit the amount of times the dishwasher is run, greatly decreasing energy costs and water consumption.

9. Invest in new energy-saving technology – For older kitchens, saving money means replacing old equipment. Although the cost is high in the beginning, you earn that money back in utility bills overtime.    

10. It pays to save money – Many cities and counties offer energy-savings incentives for individuals and corporations who choose to go green. Besides saving hundreds of dollars on your utility bills, you can get money from the government. Be sure to check in with your local government to take advantage of incentives and tax benefits for any of the steps you take in your kitchen to reduce your energy usage, such as the Energy Star equipment rebates.   

These incentives go straight to your bottom line, while the steps you take provide continuous benefits for your operation and the environment.

Jeff Breeden is active in the foodservice industry through his work at Cook’s and as a member of the National Association of Food Equipment Dealers. For more information, contact him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .