Industry Insight: The truth about light bulbs

… as explained by John Hanna, general manager at Ellenborough Park and managing director at The Mantis Collection

With energy prices continually rising, hotel owners and managers face a difficult conundrum – keeping the lights on while keeping costs in check.

Lighting is our fifth largest spend after salaries, heating, refrigeration and food, accounting for 30% of our total energy bill. While much emphasis is placed on a hotel’s eco credentials the use and abuse of electricity is a serious consideration for guests and management.

Take the humble lightbulb. Ellenborough Park has approximately 2,053 bulbs – from chandeliers in communal areas to external building lights – each costing on average £2.50. That’s a bill of more than £5,100 before they’re switched on.

It’s easy to think that energy saving bulbs are the answer, but they pose challenges of their own. They are often oddly shaped, take a few minutes to warm up and produce enough light, or are simply very expensive per unit.

Given the main part of our hotel is a Grade II listed building with traditional interiors, it’s a nightmare to fit energy saving bulbs in keeping with our beautiful fixtures and fittings. Similarly it is difficult to balance health and safety whilst adhering to English Heritage’s guidelines.

So how do you try to reduce your lighting bill? Here’s nine practical ideas that have worked for us:

1. Audit and benchmark lighting usage to uncover the areas of buildings that are using the most energy, then take steps to reduce consumption. Ensure you measure savings every quarter.
2. Find a supplier that has bona fide environmental credentials, understands your clientele and sells quality bulbs.
3. Cheapest isn’t best. All too often energy saving bulbs don’t last as long as the now-banned incandescent bulbs. Always try before you bulk buy.
4. Educate your staff on how to be more eco-minded and turn off lights where possible. Train employees to control energy use in low traffic or unoccupied rooms.
5. Control your stock of lightbulbs and cash flow. Think about how many are needed and don’t hoard extras. Managing frequency of orders will also cut costs.
6. Educate guests. As a five star hotel we can’t be too pushy but there’s no harm in putting a gentle reminder in rooms.
7. Educate your housekeeping staff to alter lighting when tending to bedrooms in the morning and, if your hotel offers it, during the evening turndown service.
8. Following these steps we have managed to reduce our lighting costs, which has considerably reduced our energy bill. This is not only good for the bank balance but guests notice that we are more eco-friendly.

www.ellenboroughpark.com