Whitbread puts £7 million into green estate
Whitbread PLC, the UK’s largest hotel and restaurant group, will spend £7 million to boost the environmental performance of its hotels, restaurants and coffee shops. Whitbread includes Premier Inn hotels, Beefeater restaurants and Costa Coffee cafes.
The company aims to reduce energy consumption by 26% and water consumption by 20% by 2020. The £7 million package of efficiency measures includes the installation of 20,000 low-flow showerheads at Premier Inn hotels.
The showerheads have been specially designed to deliver the effect of a powerful shower, while saving 3 litres of water per minute. Additional energy-saving measures include thermal building insulation, automated lighting, and restricting solar gain.
Another important part of the programme will see £2.6 million invested in low-energy LED lightbulbs, replacing 75,000 inefficient bulbs. This investment will save an estimated 6,200 tonnes of carbon emissions each year.
Whitbread is also operating a sustainable new-build programme and construction is currently underway on a second green hotel and first low-carbon restaurant. Burgess Hill Premier Inn and Beefeater restaurant in West Sussex is due to open in late Autumn 2010. To read more about this project, see link below.
