How to improve the energy efficiency of your accommodation – 10 tips for cheaper and more ecological lodging

Minimizing energy consumption makes sense and is responsible. It saves time and money – being environmentally friendly can be a more economical option. Since most emissions come from energy consumption, the most effective way to reduce your carbon footprint is to tackle energy efficiency.

Emissions from electricity consumption belong to the so-called indirect greenhouse gas emissions. Although electricity is produced elsewhere it is consumed at our premises. Acquired electricity is the most significant cause of the carbon footprint for many companies in the tourism industry, so it is worth looking at it cautiously.

Here are some proven actions that have had a positive impact on our business.

  1. Check and tender for the electricity contract yourself or through a separate service, take a critical look at the cheapest offers, and request a certificate of origin
  2. Adjust the room temperature to a maximum of 21 degrees, which is sufficient for both guest comfort and room maintenance
  3. Get an intelligently controlled heating application in the accommodation so that the customer can no longer adjust the temperature themselves and the heating is optimized by artificial intelligence – the investment will be covered in a few years with current electricity prices (OptiWatti Oy)
  4. Limit water taps to a maximum of 9 liters per minute flow. This saves a lot of hot water and energy that is used on heating it, without compromising anyone’s comfort
  5. Find out the effect of air source heat pump, ground heat, solar electricity on heating – compare alternatives critically
  6. Check that the maximum operating time of electric saunas is set to 4 hours – for example, the Harvia control panel has a default of 6 hours
  7. Check the insulation of the premises, as the airflow of leaking windows and doors wastes a lot of energy – it is easy to insulate a log building yourself
  8. Make clear instructions for the fireplace so that the customer can use the fireplace energy-efficiently and close the damper correctly
  9. Communicate with the customer about responsibility – properly placed signs about turning off the lights, using water moderately, and turning off the stove are efficient and inexpensive ways to improve energy efficiency
  10. Share your experience and help clients’ and colleagues become more efficient.

What do you think of these? Do you have any other ideas for saving energy?

You can share your tips with #sustainablehawkhill #sustainabletravelfinland #greenkey #greenkeyfinland.

Read more about our sustainabily program HERE.