Energy efficiency and cutting carbon emissions are vital in combating climate change, but ways of saving another .increasingly sparse substance have been identified by one of The Times’s carbon champions.
The Travelodge hotel chain estimates that it can save 250,000cu m of water simply by fitting aerated shower heads in its bathrooms — an important step, as drought orders are being imposed regularly in Britain. The fittings reduce the volume of water from 16 litres a minute to eight without any noticeable change in pressure and will help the company to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 272 tonnes.
The water initiative was one of many to be suggested by consultants appointed in conjunction with the Carbon Trust to advise Travelodge. “We followed up the suggestions by launching trials in three hotels and are delighted with the results,” says Ian Pennell, operations director. “The five-step carbon management programme on which we have embarked can take up to 18 months but we have reached step four in three months.” The progress is all the more remarkable because the company faced a bigger challenge than it had expected.
Its carbon footprint had been estimated at 30,000 tonnes a year, but a detailed analysis found it to be closer to 40,000 tonnes. Some 32,000 tonnes of this were due to the company’s use of electricity, so initiatives to reduce that amount were introduced. A new bedroom heating policy was trialled at Travelodges in Leeds city centre and London City Airport, which involved reducing the bedroom temperature to 15C once the guest had checked out of the hotel.
When new guests arrived, they could adjust the heating if they wanted a warmer room, but many preferred a cool regime. Travelodge found that every one degree drop in temperature achieved a 10 per cent saving in energy consumption. Trials have shown that further savings in energy and emissions can be achieved by reducing corridor lighting outside the busiest hours of 5pm to 8am and by encouraging guests and staff to ensure that televisions are switched off and not left on standby.
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Implementing these measures across its estate of 281 hotels in the UK could cut Travelodge’s carbon-dioxide emissions by 2,000 tonnes. “We talked to customers and staff during the trials and the vast majority agreed with what we were doing,” Pennell says. “The next stage is to brief all staff on our plans and encourage them to play their part. We will pick carbon champions who will lead the programme, and make the most of facts by explaining to staff that, say, leaving a TV on standby for a day creates the same level of emissions as driving a car for 35 miles.”
Modules on the hotel chain’s impact on the environment will be included in training programmes for new staff and many of the energy-saving measures will be incorporated into new hotels. A “wake up to the right environment” campaign will be launched nation.ally in the new year. Future initiatives could include colour coding electrical equipment to guide staff about what can and cannot be switched off, providing recycling bins in reception areas and bedrooms and using biomass boilers for heating.
Pennell says: “It is clear from the trials that the business case for these measures is sound. They have identified carbon dioxide savings that could amount to 7.5 per cent across the company. “By exploring further initiatives we are confident that we can achieve a 15 per cent reduction in energy consumption and carbon emissions over five years — and save the company £2.5 million. “We have to meet, if not exceed green expectations, not just because of costs but because our customers expect it and will vote with their feet if we fail.”
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32,000 Total number of hotel rooms planned in the UK by 2010
281 Hotels already open across the UK
Source: Travelodge