John Lewis and Waitrose turn down heating and lighting - to save £9million on energy

John Lewis is to turn down the temperature in stores and Waitrose supermarkets will dim their lights in a bid to save £9million on energy this winter.

It comes as John Lewis Partnership, which also operates Waitrose stores, reportedly forecasted an £18million overspend on energy costs for its year until the end of January.

In an effort to reduce their soaring bills, Waitrose will operate “half lighting” in stores for the first two hours of trading from Monday to Friday.

Temperatures will also be lowered by two degrees across the group, in branches, offices and warehouses, The Guardian reports.

John Lewis is conducting lighting surveys as well, in an effort to “explore further reduction opportunities”.

Waitrose will operate “half lighting” in stores for the first two hours of trading on weekdays (In Pictures via Getty Images)

The Guardian also mentioned other energy saving techniques that were being considered, including the addition of "night blinds" on fridges to trap the cold air inside.

According to the memo, changes to the lighting will vary from store to store.

Waitrose recently made some efforts to reduce its in-store energy use by replacing its gas boilers with heat pumps that require less electricity to run.

John Lewis and Waitrose are not the only supermarkets making moves to cut down on their energy spend.

Other supermarkets, including Sainsbury's, Co-op and Morrisons have also made steps to reduce their energy costs (AFP via Getty Images)

Co-op announced in October that it would be changing the way it lights its stores in an effort to soften the blow on rising energy bills.

The supermarket trialled reduced lighting in around 500 of its 2,500 stores, with hopes to save £4,000-a-year per site - which could amount to a huge energy bill saving of £10million per year across all stores.

Other competing supermarkets, including Sainsbury’s and Morrisons have made similar moves.

Sainsbury's launched its goal to become net zero in its operations by 2035, which saw stores dimming lighting on brighter days, and during less busy hours.

Last year, the supermarket finished rolling out LED lighting across stores to cut back on its energy consumption.

Rival chain Morrisons has been following a specific routine where dimmer lighting is used in stores for the first and last hour of trade, with an additional "quiet hour" on Saturdays.

The supermarket began reducing its lighting since the coronavirus pandemic and has seen the benefits of reduced energy bills.