Morrisons raises freezer temperatures to cut energy costs and carbon

Georgia Wright
Morrisons
Grocery

Morrisons is experimenting with raising its freezer temperatures by 3°C, becoming the first UK supermarket to break from a long-standing industry norm in a bid to reduce energy consumption and costs.

The supermarket retailer is adjusting the temperature in freezers at 10 of its stores, increasing it from the standard -18°C to -15°C. This industry standard has been in place for nearly a century.

The trial stores are spread across the UK, from Scotland to the south of England, allowing the grocer to assess the impact in different climates and supply conditions before a potential nationwide implementation.

The initiative has gained support from Birds Eye, the UK’s largest frozen food brand, as well as other members of the Move to Minus 15°C Coalition, which includes logistics companies DP World and Blue Water, and bacon producer Danish Crown.

A report from the Cop28 climate conference, authored by academics at the University of Birmingham and Heriot-Watt University, predicted that raising freezer temperatures by just 3°C across global supply chains could save 8.6% of the energy used in the UK and cut carbon emissions equivalent to removing 3.8 million cars from the road.

An 18-month study by Nomad Foods, the owner of Birds Eye, found that increasing freezer temperatures from -18°C to -15°C can reduce energy consumption by 10% to 11%, without affecting the safety, texture, taste, or nutritional value of food.

Morrisons, which has been struggling to compete in the grocery market since a debt-fuelled takeover back in 2021, said the cost savings could help it keep down prices for shoppers and contribute to its ambition to achieve net zero carbon emissions from its own operations by 2035.

Morrisons corporate services director Ruth McDonald said: “The standard temperature for the storage and transport of frozen food today looks like it is simply a convention from nearly 100 years ago.

“We now have vastly better freezers and modern technology and monitoring that gives us a precise picture of frozen food temperatures throughout the supply chain.”

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Georgia Wright

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Morrisons raises freezer temperatures to cut energy costs and carbon

Morrisons

Morrisons is experimenting with raising its freezer temperatures by 3°C, becoming the first UK supermarket to break from a long-standing industry norm in a bid to reduce energy consumption and costs.

The supermarket retailer is adjusting the temperature in freezers at 10 of its stores, increasing it from the standard -18°C to -15°C. This industry standard has been in place for nearly a century.

The trial stores are spread across the UK, from Scotland to the south of England, allowing the grocer to assess the impact in different climates and supply conditions before a potential nationwide implementation.

The initiative has gained support from Birds Eye, the UK’s largest frozen food brand, as well as other members of the Move to Minus 15°C Coalition, which includes logistics companies DP World and Blue Water, and bacon producer Danish Crown.

A report from the Cop28 climate conference, authored by academics at the University of Birmingham and Heriot-Watt University, predicted that raising freezer temperatures by just 3°C across global supply chains could save 8.6% of the energy used in the UK and cut carbon emissions equivalent to removing 3.8 million cars from the road.

An 18-month study by Nomad Foods, the owner of Birds Eye, found that increasing freezer temperatures from -18°C to -15°C can reduce energy consumption by 10% to 11%, without affecting the safety, texture, taste, or nutritional value of food.

Morrisons, which has been struggling to compete in the grocery market since a debt-fuelled takeover back in 2021, said the cost savings could help it keep down prices for shoppers and contribute to its ambition to achieve net zero carbon emissions from its own operations by 2035.

Morrisons corporate services director Ruth McDonald said: “The standard temperature for the storage and transport of frozen food today looks like it is simply a convention from nearly 100 years ago.

“We now have vastly better freezers and modern technology and monitoring that gives us a precise picture of frozen food temperatures throughout the supply chain.”

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