Refrigeration units containing environmentally harmful HFC are still in use in at least 38% of stores, despite an ongoing EU “Phase down” that will make it harder for retailers to use and maintain non-compliant units.

The phase down is aiming to cut usage of HFC chemicals by 30% in 2018 and will see limits on the sale of new refrigeration units, replacement parts and HFCs itself, which are used as a coolant in the units.

However, two in five retailers surveyed by ComRes on behalf of Emerson were unaware of the upcoming changes, which are part of the EU’s current F-gas regulations.

Emerson’s integrated service director Eric Winandy said the changes would put “a significant amount of pressure on food retailers” to move away from systems that use the chemical.

Gordon Ranson, a refrigeration unit engineer with Thornbury Refrigeration has more than 50 years’ experience in the industry. Ranson told Retail Express that the prices of HFC gasses have “gone through the roof,” but that retailers with units currently running on HFCs may be able to be converted to cheaper, more environmentally friendly HFO alternatives at a low cost, without replacing the whole unit. “It’s just a matter of adjusting the valve and replacing the gas,” Said Ranson. He warned that older units may not be suitable for this conversion.

Retailers who took part in the Emerson commissioned survey and had switched away from HFCs said safety and energy efficiency were the biggest reasons for making the switch.

The top choice for replacement systems given by retailers was carbon dioxide cooled systems, but according to Emerson, these could be around £4,500 a year more expensive than the eco-friendly HFOs suggested by Ranson.

The savings from updating refrigeration units can be drastic. Sharon Walker from Spar Sandylands in Kendal told Retail Express that new units had “halved the electricity costs” for the entire store.

According to gas manufacturer Chemours, moving to HFC replacements such as R449A can cut electricity costs by between 8 and 12%, even compared to modern HFC systems.

Do it: Check your fridges and freezers for HFCs, find the four symbol code beginning with an R on your manual, or the unit itself, for instance, the most common HFC used is R404A. Once you’ve found the code, search for it in this list.