Typical food manufacturing energy consumption
Consumption depends on production process, whether products require cooking, baking or chilling, and how many shifts are run to meet production volumes.
| Facility scale | Electricity (kWh/yr) | Gas (kWh/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| Small producer, single shift | 200,000 - 500,000 | 150,000 - 400,000 |
| Medium producer, double shift | 500,000 - 1,500,000 | 400,000 - 1,200,000 |
| Large producer, continuous shifts | 1,500,000 - 5,000,000+ | 1,200,000 - 4,000,000+ |
What drives the cost
- Process cooking, baking or frying equipment operating through production shifts
- Rapid chilling and blast freezing to bring cooked products down to safe storage temperatures
- Cold storage for raw ingredients and finished goods, running continuously
- Hygiene-driven cleaning cycles requiring hot water and steam
- Packaging line machinery and conveyor systems
Gas versus electricity split
Food manufacturers combining cooking and chilling processes often see a relatively even split between gas and electricity, since process heat drives gas use while refrigeration and packaging drive electricity use. Facilities without significant cooking, such as pure cold-chain packing operations, lean more heavily towards electricity.
Hygiene and sanitation demand
Food safety regulations require regular deep cleaning of production equipment and surfaces, often using hot water or steam-based cleaning-in-place systems. This adds a consistent, hygiene-driven energy demand on top of core production processes that is sometimes underestimated when budgeting for energy costs.
Compare business energy prices
Enter your postcode and business details to compare available commercial energy prices.
Shift patterns and peak exposure
Multi-shift or continuous production spreads demand more evenly across the day but increases total consumption and required capacity, while single-shift operations concentrate demand into daytime hours, increasing exposure to daytime peak electricity rates on half-hourly contracts.
Contract length and renewal timing
Fixed contracts of 1 to 3 years are common, though larger producers with variable output sometimes use flexible purchasing arrangements. Renewal comparisons should begin 4 to 6 months ahead of contract expiry given the complexity of quoting for high-consumption, dual-fuel-intensive sites.
How to compare food manufacturing energy prices
- Provide half-hourly consumption data covering all shift patterns run
- Separate cooking, chilling and cleaning-related consumption where sub-metered
- Review agreed supply capacity against actual peak demand across shifts
- Consider flexible purchasing for facilities with variable production volumes