Year end is when a hotel closes its budget and prepares the next one. For many properties it is also the low season, and so the right time to work in the rooms. Here are four quick actions, with no major works, to bring water and energy costs down from early 2027, ranked from the cheapest to the most structural.
| Action | Cost | Timeframe | What it changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Leak hunt | Very low | Immediate | Stops continuous water losses |
| 2. Unoccupied rooms | Low to medium | A few weeks | Cuts unnecessary heating and cooling |
| 3. Energy contract | None | Before renewal | Acts on the price per kWh |
| 4. Shower display | Monthly subscription | Less than a day to install | 23% less hot water per shower |
1. Hunt for leaks
A leaking toilet or dripping tap runs day and night, whether the room is occupied or not. Add a simple check to housekeeping and maintenance rounds: listen to toilets, look at taps, read the main meter one evening and the next morning when activity is low. It is the cheapest measure, and the first one to take.
2. Schedule unoccupied rooms
An empty room does not need to be heated or cooled like an occupied one. Depending on your equipment, this means reduced setpoints, thermostats linked to the booking system, or window contacts that cut air conditioning. Heating and domestic hot water are a hotel's top two energy items: that is where each setting counts.
3. Review the energy contract
Check the renewal date of your electricity and gas contracts and compare offers before that date. This action changes nothing in operations, and it acts on the price of every kWh used in 2027.
And in your hotel?
Thirty minutes to estimate your water and energy savings. No commitment.
4. Fit showers with a real-time display
Showers are the main water use in the room, and over two thirds of their cost is heating energy: about €2.11 per room night, of which €1.45 is energy (see How much does hot water cost per hotel room?). It is also the only item the hotel does not control, since shower length depends on the guest.
The Molleaumètre screws onto the shower hose and displays the litres during the shower, with a light ring. Flow and pressure stay the same. Result measured across 3,140 showers: 23% less hot water per shower, or about €141 saved per room per year, €97 of it energy.
Why now? A 40-room hotel is equipped in less than a day, with no building work and no room closed: a decision made in December allows installation in January, during the low season, and savings from the first bills of the year. The model is a subscription of about €6 per month per shower, plus a set-up fee: your accountant will tell you how to classify it in your 2027 budget.
Why act before 31 December
- The 2027 budget is decided now: an action in the budget is a funded action.
- The low season leaves time to work in the rooms without disturbing guests.
- France's tertiary decree sets a 40% energy cut by 2030 for hotels of 1,000 m² or more: every year ahead counts.
- The first bills of 2027 will directly show the effect of the actions taken.
To estimate the effect of action 4 on your property, the savings calculator works out the result with your number of rooms, occupancy rate and rates.
Frequently asked questions
What quick actions lower a hotel's running costs?
Four actions with no major works: hunt for leaks, schedule heating and cooling in unoccupied rooms, review the energy contract before renewal, and display consumption during the shower, which cuts hot water by 23% per shower.
Why act at year end?
Because next year's budget is decided in November and December, the low season leaves time to work in the rooms, and actions taken show their effect from the first bills in January.
How long does it take to equip a hotel's showers?
The Molleaumètre screws onto the shower hose, with no building work and no water shut-off. The Molleau team equips a 40-room hotel in less than a day.
How much can a hotel save on showers?
With 23% less hot water per shower, measured across 3,140 showers, a hotel saves about €141 per room per year, of which €97 is energy and €44 water, or about €5,658 a year for 40 rooms at 80% occupancy.
Sources: French decree no. 2019-771 of 23 July 2019 (Éco Énergie Tertiaire scheme); Baisse les Watts programme, cited by Opéra Énergie; Molleau x Hénéo pilot, RIVP group, 3,140 showers analysed over eight months. Molleau calculation assumptions: 150 L of shower water per occupied room per day, 80% occupancy, heating from 12 to 40 °C, electricity €0.298/kWh, water and sewerage €4.37/m³.