As Christmas approaches, the 'Lighting Season' is upon us, bringing with it higher energy bills. Discovering how to sustainably light shops and retail estates will drive better sales, and meaningful Yuletide savings too.

In the first of a 2 part series, we examine the stats behind Christmas lighting efficiency, and how shops at the frontline of the Christmas sales battle can save energy.

In the dash to ready shops for Christmas, it's easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. At Greenlite we can help you remember; Christmas is not just about selling, it's about saving too.

Using energy intelligently in retail is always key, but especially so at Christmas. Lighting demands soar; hours of sunlight plummet, just when the most stunning displays are needed.

With this, comes the urge to build displays that dazzle out the competition. But failing to make efficient, sales-centric lighting part of these can dangerously undermine the profit of the whole exercise.

The facts are in the figures

Lux quotes some interesting figures; for 2015, if just two fluorescent tubes were changed to LED in all the 280,000 retail businesses in the UK, some 84 million kWh or £8.4 million could be saved. Christmas is the perfect time to do this.

And if all the UK's retailers changed their halogen lamps to LED, the UK would save £250 million, or 1.4 million tonnes of CO2.

Add in; retail lighting energy use is climbing, due to longer overall opening hours and higher light levels. This is exacerbated yet further at Christmas. The trends mean any wastage, from inappropriate control strategies or inefficient lighting equipment, dangerously harms both profit and the environment.

Clinching why the debate's so vital, The Carbon Trust has yet more statistics. It estimates, 'For many businesses a 20% cut in energy costs represents the same bottom line benefit as a 5% increase in sales.'

Further, it says, 'Experience shows that even low and no-cost actions can usually reduce energy costs by at least 10% and produce quick returns.'

Together, the numbers are compelling. They demonstrate inefficient lighting arrays could really harm your Christmas. The solutions are simple. But if you ignore them, and if your lights use a fifth more energy than they might, they will wipe out 5% of your profit.

What solutions are out there?

1) Maintain your lights correctly at Christmas. Like any equipment, lighting is prone to expensive failures when poorly cared for. The less well maintained the light, the more energy it will burn. Greenlite’s maintenance programmes can take care of these headaches for you. They will create savings, and guarantee lighting reliability during key Christmas sales periods.

2) LEDs and design can offer big efficiencies. Our lighting design service can offer typical energy savings of over 70% on existing lighting solutions.

3) We can help finance improvements too. Christmas is a vital time in retail. A well cared for, maintained and financed low energy lighting system will protect your profit, and encourage the sales so crucial at this time of year.

And remember; in Part 2 of this series, we will examine how to embed energy-efficiency in warehouses, at the back end of the retail Christmas.