// Waitrose is to operate on half lighting during the early morning, and store temperatures at John Lewis will be cut by 2%
// John Lewis Partnership is facing an £18 million overspend on energy in its current financial year
John Lewis Partnership is to lower the temperature in its department stores and dim the lights at Waitrose supermarkets in a bid to minimise rocketing energy bills.
Waitrose will operate “half lighting” in stores for the first two hours of trading on weekdays and across the partnership the temperature of branches, offices and warehouses will be reduced by two degrees, according to a memo seen by The Guardian.
The memo said that unless it took this action, John Lewis Partnership faced an £18 million overspend on energy for its year to the end of January.
The retail group is braced for an “equally challenging” year in 2023 and told staff it is aiming to make £9 million in savings through the in-store changes.
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The newspaper said that the changes to lighting would vary from store to store, while department store John Lewis is conducting lighting surveys to “explore further reduction opportunities”.
Other options being looked at include adding ‘night blinds’ on fridges to trap the cold air inside, and switching off unnecessary equipment and lighting.
Waitrose recently introduced heat pumps in its supermarkets, replacing gas boilers. The pumps require less electricity to run.
The partnership is one of many retailers that are taking energy-saving initiatives in the face of surging bills.
The Co-op has launched a trial to reduce lighting and has rolled out dimmer lighting in around 500 of its 2,500 UK convenience stores.
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