Which ENERGY STAR® Commercial Kitchen Appliances Save You Money? - Part 3

Many restaurant equipment manufacturers are producing new commercial appliances that are much more energy efficient. ENERGY STAR® qualified commercial kitchen equipment can be your answer to increasing energy bills in three ways:

1. Many utilities offer incentives to offset the added purchase cost of ENERGY STAR® certified commercial food service equipment.
2. Some states offer rebates for energy efficient cooking equipment.
3. Qualified products can save up to as much as fifty percent over their conventional counterparts.

You may be outfitting your commercial kitchen for the first time, or replacing an old or outdated appliance. Choosing ENERGY STAR® qualified appliances can save you money. The eight categories of restaurant equipment that currently feature the ENERGY STAR® label include:

• Fryers
• Hot food holding cabinets
• Solid door refrigerators and freezers
• Dishwashers
• Steam cookers
• Ice machines
• Ovens
• Griddles

 Learn just how much energy and money you can save with ENERGY STAR® qualified appliances with the following information:

 ENERGY STAR® Fryers

ENERGY STAR® qualified fryers offer shorter cooking times and increase production rates. Since they are about thirty percent more energy efficient than standard commercial fryers, you could save about $950 for your electric fryer and $4,400 for your gas fryer over their lifetime.

 ENERGY STAR® Hot Food Holding Cabinets

ENERGY STAR® options for hot food holding cabinets are sixty-five more energy efficient than standard models. Models meeting the ENERGY STAR® requirements have better insulation and reduced heat loss. They may also offer additional energy saving devices such as magnetic door gaskets or automatic door closures. Having an ENERGY STAR® hot food holding cabinet can save you $2,800 over its lifetime.

ENERGY STAR® Refrigerators and Freezers

Commercial ENERGY STAR® refrigerators and freezers can have up to a thirty-five percent savings on energy. Your ENERGY STAR® refrigerator could save between $500-$650 and your freezer $1,650-$3,000 over their lifetime.

 ENERGY STAR® Dishwashers

Commercial dishwashers often account for more than two-thirds of the overall water use in a commercial kitchen. ENERGY STAR® dishwashers are about twenty-five percent more energy and water efficient than standard commercial dishwashers. This will save you an average of $850 each year on energy bills and between $5,850 and $9,750 over the lifetime of your dishwasher.

ENERGY STAR® Food Steamers

You can reduce your energy and water costs because ENERGY STAR® rated steam cookers are fifty percent more energy efficient and ninety percent more water efficient than standard models. This will save about $4,000 per year in water and energy costs. Designed to reduce heat loss and have better insulation, steam returns to the reservoir of the steam cooker instead of draining outside of it. A “connectionless steamer” could save 174,500 gallons of water per year in comparison to a boil-style steamer (three gallons of water per hour vs. forty gallons).

ENERGY STAR® Ice Machines

The ENERGY STAR® rated ice machines are about fifteen percent more energy efficient and ten percent more water-efficient, which could save you about $900 over their lifetime.

 ENERGY STAR® Ovens

Baking, roasting, or warming-up foods uses a great deal of energy. ENERGY STAR® rated commercial ovens are about twenty percent more energy efficient than standard commercial ovens. Over the lifetime of your oven, you will save about $1,800 for electric and $3,400 for gas.

 ENERGY STAR® Griddles

You can reduce energy use by using ENERGY STAR® griddles that are ten percent more energy-efficient than standard models. This can save you about $1,800 for your electric griddle or $1,650 for your gas griddle over their lifetime.

It all adds up. Let’s look at your total potential savings if you replaced all your appliances with ENERGY STAR® qualified models. Your potential lifetime savings will be at least $20,000 and could be as much as $40,000 over the lifetime of your appliances! Obviously, ENERGY STAR® qualified appliances can save you money. Additionally, your business will earn reputation for environmental responsibility, potentially increasing your business.