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You are here : Home > Water > Whitbread's green refurb plans
Date today:   19 Jun, 2013 12:39:38 PM
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Whitbread's green refurb plans
By editor | 13 Jul, 2010
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Whitbread PLC, the UK’s largest hotel and restaurant group, has announced a sustainable refurbishment programme of its building stock to cut carbon emissions and reduce water consumption. It will be spending over £7m to boost the environmental performance of its hotels, restaurants and coffee shops. The move is part of the group's Good Together sustainability strategy, which aims to deliver a 26% reduction in energy consumption and a 20% reduction in water use by 2020.

The retrofit will involve 20,000 low-flow showerheads installed at Premier Inn hotels, saving enough water to fill 88 Olympic swimming pools a year. Another key element of the programme will see £2.6m go towards low-energy LED light bulbs, replacing 75,000 standard light bulbs. This will save an estimated 6,200 tonnes of carbon each year as well as reduce the energy bill.  

Additional energy and water saving measures include investment in voltage optimisation, thermal building insulation, automated lighting systems, bathroom tap restrictors and dual flush toilets, renewable technology (such as solar panels and microCHP) and solar film (window film which allows light in but reduces the need for cooling by keeping heat out in summer).

Chris George, Whitbread’s head of energy and environment, said: “By leading the way in our sector, we can show what can be achieved when you are committed to taking action on the environment.  What’s really exciting about our programme is its scale – we have the largest portfolio of hotels, restaurants and coffee shops in the UK. That means we have a real opportunity to make a difference and there is considerable scope for us to be innovative and bold.”  

The group is also operating a sustainable newbuild programme and construction is underway on a second green hotel and first low-carbon restaurant. Burgess Hill Premier Inn and Beefeater in West Sussex, due to open in late Autumn 2010, follows the green hotel pilot in Tamworth, Staffordshire – the UK’s first green budget hotel which opened its doors to guests in December 2008.

To learn more about what Whitbread is doing as part of its Good Together programme, plus its energy and water saving initiatives, please click here .



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