Dry Cleaners and Laundromats

Tip Sheet
Dry Cleaners
and Laundromats
Reducing your energy bills is
easier than you think! Follow our
simple 20 step plan to help your
business save money.
STEP 1
STEP 3
Add up your
energy costs
Find out how much your
business spends on electricity,
gas and fuel.
l Go to EnergyCut.info/billscalculator.
l Input the total amounts spent.
l The calculator shows how
much you pay for energy
and how much you’ll save by
reducing energy use.
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STEP 2
Monitor your
energy use
Install energy displays and
appliance monitors.
l Monitor your energy use
online.
l Install ‘smart’ meters?
l Use sub-meters?
l Understand your energy use.
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STEP 4
Write an energy
action plan
Understand where you
are using energy in your
laundromat.
l Install energy displays and
appliance monitors.
l Monitor your energy use
online via your energy retailer.
l Can you install ‘smart’
meters?
l Can you use sub-meters?
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Get your staff
on board
Roll out a ‘SMART’ plan.
Encourage staff to submit
their energy-saving ideas.
l Put signs and posters up.
l Distribute an info sheet.
l Encourage and reward staff
when they save energy.
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STEP 5
Negotiate a
better deal
What tariffs and fees are you
paying for your energy?
l Are you in an energy contract?
l If you’re not in a contract, call
different energy retailers and
ask for a better energy deal.
l How many cents per kilowatt
hour (c/kWh) do they charge?
l Can they give free energy
advice?
l What energy reporting can
they offer you?
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Replace your T8 tubes with LED tubes.
They use up to 67% less energy and last
up to 50,000 hours.
STEP 6
STEP 8
Switch off
and save
Create a switch-off list for all
appliances and equipment.
l Measure your after-hours
energy use - use as a KPI.
l Buy energy-saving plugs.
l Automate the switch-off
process.
l Distribute workplace ‘switchoff’ posters and stickers.
l At the end of the day, turn
off your WiFi and instant hot
water.
l
Cut your
lighting bills
Do a lighting audit of your
premises, not just your shop front.
l Make the most of natural light it’s free of charge.
l Install motion detectors or pushbutton timer lighting.
l Replace halogen downlights
with LED downlights
l Replace T8 fluorescent tubes
with T5s or LED.
l ‘Delamp’: fluoro lighting with
two tubes - can you remove one?
l
Owner Kris Anderson of Greener
Cleaner saved about 30% in
electriricty on lights alone by
switching from standard fluorescent
T8s to LEDs
STEP 9
Lower climate
control devices
Get as much of your heating,
cooling and ventilation as possible
from natural sources.
l Keep doors, windows and vents
closed when your air-conditioning
is on.
l Don’t heat or cool areas that
don’t need it like storerooms.
l Get your HVAC systems checked
to ensure they’re running at
maximum efficiency.
l Make sure your HVAC
equipment is properly maintained.
l Use fans as they cost about two
cents per hour to run.
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STEP 10
Get comfortable
with insulation
STEP 7
Watch your
thermostat
In summer thermostats
should be set between 24–27°C.
l In winter thermostats should
be set between 18–20°C.
l Stop staff changing the
thermostat.
l Install ENERGY STAR®
compliant programmable
thermostats.
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Maximising insulation
maximises heating and cooling
savings.
l Identify draughts and take
action.
l Avoid ‘the oven effect’ properly shade your premises.
l Check our website for questions
to ask an insulation installer.
l Go for the highest appropriate
‘R’ rated insulation.
l Go for the lowest appropriate
‘U’ rated windows.
l
DID YOU KNOW? Every degree you raise or lower thermostats
can increase your heating or cooling bills by up to 10%.
Standby power can account for up to
10% of your dry cleaners’ energy bill.
STEP 13
STEP 14
Save money
won transport
STEP 11
Cut your energy
IT costs
Switch off at the powerpoint at
the end of the day.
l Activate energy-saving settings.
l Utilise standby mode.
l Buy LED screens with an
energy-star rating.
l Switch to laptops and
consolidate your printers.
l Investigate the computer server
option.
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Do an eco-driving course.
l Keep vehicles wellmaintained with tyres inflated
correctly.
l Minimise load weight and
wind resistance.
l When planning to buy or
lease a new vehicle, visit
GreenVehicleGuide.gov.au.
l Check-out car-sharing options.
l Introduce telecommuting.
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Refrigeration
costs cut
Set fridges at 4°C, and
freezers at -15/-18°C.
l Keep refrigeration units
properly maintained and
away from heat.
l Leave at least 50–80mm
between the wall and the
back of your fridge.
l Replace faulty fridge and
freezer seals.
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STEP 15
Reduce hot
water costs
With hot water storage tanks,
heat water in off-peak.
l Set hot water storage
temperature at 60°C. Instant
hot water at 50°C.
l Look for the money-saving
stars on your water appliances.
l Buy water-saving equipment
− look for the WELS label.
l Replace your electrical hot
water system with a heat pump
or solar hot water system (with
electrical or gas boost back-up).
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STEP 12
Equipment
energy reduced
Do an equipment energy audit.
l Maximise the energy efficiency
of all hair equipment, tools and
accessories
l Where possible, activate
the energy-saving mode on
equipment.
l Maintain your equipment and
turn it off at the end of the day.
l Work out equipment running
costs before you buy.
l Look at the energy-rating stars:
more stars = more savings.
l When buying equipment, look
for an ENERGY STAR® label.
l
Ozone Express Laundrette saved $500
per month on energy by changing
from two large electric dryers to two
large gas-powered dryers.
DID YOU KNOW? Depending on your location and system, solar
hot water can reduce your hot water bills by 50–90%.
For more information visit:
EnergyCut.com.au
STEP 16
STEP 17
Save money
with solar
For solar panels, you will need
a north-facing roof.
l Get Tier 1 or Tier 2 solar PV
panels.
l Get ‘Small-scale Technology
Certificates’. Can you get solar
feed-in tariffs from your energy
retailer?
l Installers need to be accredited
by the ‘Clean Energy Council’.
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Building lease
efficiency
If you are leasing your
premises, work with the
building owner to make your
laundromat more energy
efficient.
l Check the Federal
Government’s ‘Tenant’s Guide
to Green Leases’ and ‘Green
Lease Handbook’ for landlords.
l If you set up a salon in
a shopping centre or office
block, move into one that is
NABERS-rated.
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STEP 18
Financing your
upgrades
Government grants and rebates
may be available to hairdressers
to become more energy efficient.
l Can you lease new energyefficient equipment?
l Energy efficiency upgrades
have an excellent ROI.
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STEP 19
Look out for
innovation
The rising cost of energy has
led to a range of new products,
services & ideas that save energy.
l Introducing these new
developments into your salon can
reduce its energy operating costs.
l
By using advanced technology
that recovers waste heat from the
exhausts of gas-fired dryers, Princes
Laundry saved over 33% of their total
gas use.
STEP 20
Get further
information
For more detailed advice about
practical ways to improve energy
efficiency in your salon visit:
EnergyCut.com.au
l
Government disclaimer: This activity received funding from the Department of Industry and Science. The views expressed herein are not necessarily the
views of the Commonwealth of Australia and the Commonwealth does not accept responsibility for any information or advice contained herein.