Cocktail Bar in London

The Client

The Oxford Street branch was the first one of over 10 London cocktail bars, basement bars for after-work and weekend drinking.

Background

The hospitality industry takes sustainability very seriously, but it needs to be balanced against cost pressures.

Need

The cocktail bar engaged with Oak Data, the sustainability membership organisation, to help them save energy and CO2. The Oxford Street branch of this 10-strong chain was selected as an ideal site to try different ideas.

Challenges & our approach

Switching off your drinks fridges is not an easy decision. So the Cocktail Club had to be convinced that it was safe and worth doing.

One wireless hub placed by WiFi router establishes a wireless network across the bar. Installed by energy consultant (picture) and GridDuck.

We placed wireless smart plugs behind each of the seven-bar fridges, in order to collect data. After two weeks the bar owners could see that they were using a lot of electricity outside of their opening hours (5pm to midnight).

We then started switching six of the fridges off from midnight until 10am, some until noon. One fridge is kept on to store perishables.

After a few weeks, we also connected the cubed ice and crushed ice machines and applied the same switch off timetable.

Result

The cocktail bar saves 28% energy.

Switching off drinks fridges from 1am to 10am. Payback 11 months.

Consumption on Wed 15 January was 66.82 kWh, on Wed 22 January 47.95 kWh. Reduction 18.87 kWh, or 28%.

At 14p/kWh the reduction was £2.64, or £961 per year.

Costs were £850, payback 11 months.