Save IT! Common sense saves cash and resources

Resource-saving campaign from The Catering Equipment Suppliers Association (CESA) and Oxford Brookes University

Manufacturers are developing ever more energy efficient equipment, as well as looking at ways their designs can save on the use of other resources such as water. However, it’s not always necessary to buy new models to save energy – there are plenty of ways to minimise the consumption of resources on the equipment already installed in kitchens.

CESA‘s ‘Save IT!’ campaign, which the Association runs in partnership with Oxford Brookes University, includes wipe-clean, kitchen-proof stickers and is designed to remind staff to save energy by shutting it, filling it and turning it off – ‘it’ being kitchen equipment.

Shut it: keep doors on fridges, ovens and other appliances shut as much as possible. This will mean they use less energy to maintain their temperature. Also check on door gaskets – a worn or damaged gasket means the seal is compromised, so the equipment will use more power than it should.

Fill it: always try to use each piece of equipment at full capacity, whether it be a refrigeration cabinet, a cooker or a dishwasher. Running these half empty is a waste of resources.

Switch it off: if it doesn’t need to be on, turn it off. This is especially true of cooking ranges – leaving gas or electric hobs on when no cooking is being done simply burns cash.

Finally, CESA advises caterers to ‘look after it’: catering equipment that is neglected or abused will be less efficient. For example, combi steamers, icemakers and warewashers need to be descaled – if limescale builds up on elements, they will need more power to do their job. Similarly, dirty ovens use more power than clean ones – the heat has to get through the grime before it can start the cooking!

By following basic resource-saving practices caterers can lengthen the life of their equipment as well as saving running costs.

CESA’s labels for the campaign are sticky-backed and can be attached to relevant pieces of kit – ‘Shut It!’ for the oven door and so on – to act as prompts for kitchen staff. The labels are available free on request, but stocks are limited. Contact CESA via the website for more information: www.cesa.org.uk

The Save IT campaign is partnered with Oxford Brookes University. Mr Peter Jarrett at Oxford Brookes University is launching a trial of open source training resources, including podcasts, for the typical hospitality business. The project is part funded by the Higher Educational Academy to explore the opportunity of delivering freely accessible hospitality education and training. The Save It podcasts and Food Safety training resources can be found at the site http://www.open-course.org.uk, which is being constantly updated.

The Catering Equipment Suppliers Association (CESA) represents over 130 companies who supply, service and maintain all types of commercial catering equipment – from utensils to full kitchen schemes. For more information on CESA visit www.cesa.org.uk