Utility Savings Checklist, Part 1

By Bob Meuschke | Jul 13, 2009

For years, as a general rule, utilities have accounted for about 25 percent of gross sales in the coin laundry business. But you want to do better than that. You know you can do better than that… and with today’s economy, you probably need to do better than that. Here’s how…

First, get yourself a pad of paper and a pen. Now, stand in front of your self-service laundry and take a deep breath. Take a moment to clear your mind. After all, if you are in your laundromat every day, you will no doubt overlook some important, money-saving factors to consider.

1. Look at your outside lights. Are they all working? Note: Even if none of them are working, they are still pulling electricity. Yes, it requires electricity even to run a bad ballast.

2. Does your exterior sign work? The same rule that applies to your lights in No. 1 also applies to your outside signage.

3. Is your outside lighting and signage the most energy-efficient it can be, given today’s technology?

4. Do your doors shut properly and completely?

5. Do you have any cracked or broken windows, or is any of the stripping missing? Outside air can creep into the smallest places and fight with your heating and/or air conditioning systems.

6. When was the last time you changed your HVAC filters? During heating and air conditioning seasons, these filters should be changed at least once a month for highest energy efficiency.

7. When was the last time your air conditioning condenser was washed out? This should be done once a season for optimum efficiency.

8. Are there any cracks in your walls, foundations or roof that can allow the outside air in? Even if you lease your laundry, it wouldn’t hurt to check on all of these items anyway.

Now it’s time to inspect the interior of your self-service laundry…

9. If your store faces either the West or South, perhaps you should strongly consider tinting your windows. Today’s modern window tinting products can cut much of the sun’s heat without taking away the bright, natural light.

10. Are all of your interior ceiling lights in good working condition? Do these fixtures feature T-8 or the newer T-5 bulbs? Your store’s lights are on 24 hours a day or at least for the 14 to 18 hours that you are open. Therefore, the electricity bill for your lights can be 15 percent to 20 percent of your total bill. If you switch to the T-8 bulbs or, better yet, the T-5s, you can get brighter interior lighting – and save 35 percent to 40 percent of the electricity used for your lighting. In general, new lights can pay for themselves in less than three years.

(Check back tomorrow for Part 2… and more ways to save money on your laundry’s utility costs.)