NFRN member Trudy Davies, of Woosnam & Davies in Wales, has revealed she will be concentrating her efforts on cutting her electricity costs this year. 

She told RN: “The electric and energy we are using in the shop is continually going up. Whatever profit I make is being taken away by rising energy costs.”

Davies said she will be making small, but profitable changes to her store throughout the year. “I have just looked into changing all my light fittings,” she said. “I’m also planning to put sensor lights in my store rooms, as well as making sure the switches on the thermostat are constant, rather than whacking it up if it’s cold, or turning it down if it’s hot. 

“These are all very small changes, but hopefully they will alleviate the amount of money I have going out.”

However, Davies did stress she won’t be neglecting her work to improve sustainability in store. “Last year, I was working on solutions to tackle my plastic waste, and I won’t be stopping,” she said. 

“This is an important area for me, but I have been making small changes to cutting my electricity waste over the years – and this year it’ll become my focus.”

When asked where she gets her inspiration from, Davies said she relies heavily on newsagent forums. “Forums that include other retailers are really helpful because we can throw ideas back and forth,” she added. 

“I also scour the newstrade magazines, which are really good for picking up little tricks.”

Later in the year, Davies is also planning on implementing solar panels to her shop. “We are looking to put solar panels on the roof. Although we are in a conservation area, we are able to put them on the back part of the shop as long as they aren’t facing the main street,” she said.

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