Energy costs (electricity, gas, heat, water) typically account for 3–8% of net revenue in hospitality — restaurants with production kitchens at the upper end, pure accommodation at the lower. The biggest consumers are kitchen equipment, refrigeration and ventilation. Because hardly any cost type fluctuates as much and is managed as rarely, 10–20% savings without comfort loss are often hidden here.
Enter costs and revenue — ratio, traffic light and savings potential appear instantly.
Rough target bands — bakery cafés, spa hotels or 24/7 operations differ structurally. What matters is your own trend: put the ratio next to the BWA monthly.
| Consumer | Typical share | Fastest lever |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen (ranges, ovens, dishwashing) | 25–40% | Standby discipline: switch by schedule instead of "everything on from 8 am" |
| Refrigeration & freezers | 15–25% | Seals, clean evaporators, correct set temperatures, door discipline |
| Ventilation & A/C | 15–25% | Demand control instead of continuous run, filter maintenance, night setback |
| Hot water & heating | 10–20% | Time-control circulation, check temperatures (observe legionella rules!) |
| Lighting & misc. | 5–15% | Full LED conversion, presence sensors in back rooms |
Restaurants with production kitchens 4–8%, hotels 3–6%, cafés/B&B below. More important than the industry value: your own trend — if the ratio rises at stable revenue, something is feeding in the background (a failing fridge is the classic).
With the zero-cost levers: switching discipline, set temperatures, seals, circulation times. Then the small investments with short payback (LED, timers) — which finance the bigger steps.
From medium business size almost always: a professional finds the silent guzzlers (base load!), prioritises by payback and knows the subsidies. The audit cost is typically recouped by the first measures within a year.
Hospitality has ideal load profiles for photovoltaics: daytime consumption, high self-use share. On suitable roofs PV often pays back in under 10 years — but optimise the consumption side first: the cheapest kilowatt-hour remains the one saved.