Grocery stores and supermarkets are among the most electricity intensive commercial operations. It is estimated that annually, the average grocery store in the US consumes approximately 50 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per square foot1. And with a median size of 47,500 sq. ft., the average grocery store is using over 2.3 million kWh of electricity each year2.

At an average price of 10.7 cents per kWh, a typical grocery store is paying over a quarter of a million dollars annually just for electricity! Given the industry’s tight margins, it’s no wonder energy efficiency is such an attractive (and essential) part of any grocery store’s revenue model.

♦  Energy costs can account for up to 15 percent of a grocery store’s operating budget. Because a grocery store’s profit margins are so thin—roughly around 1 – 1.5 percent—every dollar in energy savings is equivalent to increasing sales by $59.

♦  On average, 56 percent of the average grocery store’s electricity goes toward refrigeration, ranking it ahead of lighting (23 percent), according to data from the United States Energy Information Administration.