Business Energy Shutdown Checklist for Holiday Closures

At a glance

  • Identify avoidable energy use before a closure, rather than switching everything off at the last minute.
  • Classify equipment as safe to stop, needing a controlled shutdown, or required to remain operating.
  • Assign responsibility, record exceptions and plan the restart as carefully as the shutdown.
  • Compare measured out-of-hours kWh before and after. Savings depend on the equipment, closure length and operational requirements.

A holiday closure can reveal equipment running without a useful purpose. The aim is a controlled reduction in unnecessary consumption while protecting people, premises, stock and business continuity. This is a general planning checklist, not site-specific instructions for isolating plant or changing safety systems.

On this page

Start with the overnight pattern

Review electricity data from a normal closed period. Is demand fairly steady, or does equipment start at particular times? Check heating, ventilation and equipment schedules against actual opening hours.

A background load is not automatically waste. Security systems, refrigeration or essential servers may explain it. Investigate the load before deciding it can be removed.

The Carbon Trust’s office energy resources cover equipment, heating, lighting and management practices. Use manufacturer instructions and competent site advice for individual systems.

Create an equipment register

For each significant item or system, record:

  • Equipment name, location and person responsible.
  • Whether it must remain on, can be switched off normally, or needs a controlled shutdown.
  • The reason for any exception.
  • Approved shutdown and restart instructions.
  • Required checks during closure and an emergency contact.

Do not assume the person locking the building knows how to stop every system. Give them a short approved list, with any uncertain item referred to its owner before the last day.

Protect essential systems

Check the following before approving changes:

  • Fire, security and access: alarms, emergency lighting, access controls, monitoring and communication links.
  • IT and continuity: servers, backups, networking, remote access and equipment needed by people still working.
  • Refrigeration: food, medicines, laboratory materials and other temperature-sensitive stock.
  • Building services: frost protection, humidity control, drainage pumps, essential ventilation and any insurer or landlord requirements.
  • Specialist plant: machinery, pressure systems and equipment needing trained operators or controlled restart.
  • Water systems: hygiene controls and low-use or reopening arrangements.

Changing building use can affect water-system risks. HSE explains employers’ responsibilities for managing legionella. Do not disable water-heating or hygiene controls simply because the building is unoccupied; follow the site’s assessed plan.

Two to four weeks before closure

Confirm the dates, occupied areas, staff attendance and any contractors or deliveries. Identify equipment that can be stopped and obtain agreement for systems with operational consequences.

Review timers, building-management schedules and automatic overrides. A holiday mode is useful only if its settings suit the building and do not interfere with required protection.

Plan refrigeration shutdown only where stock can be removed or protected and the appliance’s cleaning, drying and restart requirements are met. Confirm IT backup and access arrangements with the responsible person.

Trial the routine before the final day

Test the ordinary end-of-day procedure during a normal working week. Find out which controls are unclear, which equipment starts automatically and whether the recorded exceptions are complete.

Check that people know the difference between shutting down a computer and only turning off its monitor. Review non-essential printers, display screens, kitchen equipment and lighting. Keep equipment operating where its instructions or business function require it.

Any electrical isolation, plant adjustment or safety-system change should be carried out by a competent authorised person. Do not use an improvised switch-off routine for unfamiliar equipment.

Final-day checklist

  • Confirm that nobody is still relying on equipment scheduled to stop.
  • Complete approved equipment shutdowns and record any exceptions.
  • Switch off non-essential lighting and displays, preserving required safety lighting.
  • Apply approved holiday schedules to heating, cooling and ventilation.
  • Check approved arrangements for kitchens, vending equipment and refrigeration.
  • Confirm alarms, security, communications and monitoring remain functional.
  • Record the time, responsible person and any available meter or demand reading.
  • Leave a clear restart list and contact details for anyone attending during closure.

The last check is whether the agreed plan was completed, not whether every plug is off. A generic “all off” instruction can create greater costs and risks than it avoids.

Timers and smart plugs

Timers can prevent forgotten operating hours, but not every load is suitable. Check the device’s rating, the equipment’s starting current and the consequences of an unexpected power interruption.

Do not put essential equipment or high-power appliances on a consumer smart plug simply because its app provides a schedule. Avoid relying on Wi-Fi or cloud services where loss of control would create a safety or operational problem. Follow approved equipment and electrical guidance.

Include the timer or smart device’s own consumption when estimating a saving. Automation should implement an agreed operating plan rather than substitute for one.

Estimate and measure the saving

For a steady avoidable load:

Avoided kWh = avoided kW × hours no longer operating

For example, an avoidable 0.5 kW load removed for 240 hours represents 120 kWh. At an illustrative 25p/kWh, that is £30 in consumption charges before any other tax or cost effects.

The example is not a guaranteed saving. Cycling equipment, changing weather and intermittent use alter the result. Most daily standing charges do not disappear because consumption falls.

Compare actual closed-period data before and after. Check weather, frost-protection operation, visits, refrigeration and any unusual activity before attributing the whole difference to the checklist. Use the supplier’s data where available and keep a record of changes.

Reopening checklist

  • Check the premises and required safety systems before normal occupation.
  • Follow approved water-system, plant, refrigeration and IT restart procedures.
  • Restore normal schedules and confirm that holiday overrides have ended.
  • Check temperatures, alerts, operating status and any stock requirements.
  • Record faults and arrange investigation before relying on affected equipment.
  • Compare the next normal operating days with the expected pattern.

Restarting the supply to every device at once is not a substitute for following equipment instructions. Allow time for checks before staff or customers depend on the systems.

A simple sign-off record

Closure dates: [dates]. Person completing checks: [name]. Systems stopped: [list]. Systems left on and why: [list]. Exceptions or faults: [details]. Checks required during closure: [details]. Restart owner and date: [details].

Keep this with the equipment register. Review it when equipment, occupancy or responsibility changes, so next year’s checklist reflects the site as it is now.

Sources and further reading

Browse the Hub: SME resources · Environmental resources

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