High street retailers waste energy on air con systems

The worst offender was Next, which recorded temperatures of 20.1°C. Boots, River Island and Ann Harvey did not fare much better, at 21.1, 21.6 and 22.4 degrees respectively. Meanwhile, just one store – Debenhams – kept its doors closed to prevent the cool air escaping and the warm air entering.

The investigation took place on London's Oxford Street on one of the hottest days of July, when the outside temperature recorded 28.4°C. The Make It Cheaper team used thermal imaging cameras to capture temperatures inside shops and compared them with the outside temperature.

According to the Carbon Trust, the retail sector is responsible for over five million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year and estimates energy savings of up to 20 per cent – equivalent to more than £300 million – could be made across the sector through measures such as using air conditioning units more energy efficiently. The Carbon Trust recommends that air con systems should not operate at below 24°C during hot weather. 

Jonathan Elliott, managing director of Make It Cheaper, commented: "Shopkeepers in New York get fined $400 (£266) by the City Council if they have their doors open with the air con on because it burns so much more energy to cool a shop than it does to keep it warm [...]  There are simple things that staff can do now, however, such as to challenge head office policy, set the thermostat higher, turn off some of the lights and tweak the automatic doors to close more frequently. It is common sense, saves money as well as energy and is everybody’s responsibility."