Conservation initiatives for Bed and breakfasts
Short-term initiatives
The Australian Hotels Association (AHA) of WA has established a list of suggested strategies to assist hotels in minimising their linen and energy use. Some strategies can benefit Bed and Breakfasts:
Energy Consumption
• Turn off any unnecessary lighting in non-essential areas
• Turn off heating and air-conditioning in non-essential areas
• Ensure all computers, photocopiers and other office equipment are switched off at the wall when not in use
• Switch off kitchen appliances overnight such as hot water heaters, gas hot plates and dishwashers
• Ensure lights in the kitchen and office for example, are turned off when not in use, and
• Reduce the temperature or turn off pool or spa heaters.
Laundry
• Replace table cloths and linen serviettes with paper products where possible
• Reduce the number of bathrobes, hand towels, bath mats and face cloths available in bathrooms and en-suites
• Do not change towels on a daily basis during the course of the guest’s stay
• Replace duvets and quilts that require laundering, with blankets
• Do not change bed linen on a daily basis during the course of a guest’s stay, and
• Reduce the quantity of linen on beds, for example the number of pillows or pillow cases, additional sheeting and so on.
Guest advice
Bed and Breakfast establishments can provide advice to guests about how they can minimise their energy use. Some initiatives include:
• Reusing towels during the course of their stay
• Turning off appliances at the power switch when not in use
• Turning off lights when not in the room
• Limiting showers to three to four minutes, and
• Reducing air-conditioning and room heating where possible and turning it off when not in the room.
To download the 
Guest Advice (24 KB) to display in your Bed and Breakfast
Long-term and general initiatives
Energy conservation
• Wash a full load rather than several smaller loads
• Clean the lint filter in your clothes dryer after each load
• Use the clothes line on fine days instead of the clothes dryer
• Use daylight exclusively for as much of each day as possible
• Use a nightlight in the bathroom, its enough light for when guests gets up during the night
• Consider energy costs in all purchasing decisions
• Heat only the rooms being used by closing doors to unheated areas
• Don’t use incandescent lights, replace existing lights with energy efficient alternatives
• Label your light switches to clearly identify the lights that they control
• Locate fridges and freezers away from the sun or heat producing appliances, such as cookers and dishwashers
• Check the fridge and oven seal regularly to make sure its tight
• Make energy efficiency a criteria when purchasing new kitchen and office equipment
• Defrost freezers regularly, and
• Insulate your bed and breakfast establishment. This will reduce the need for heating and cooling.
Water conservation
• Have a compost kitchen, this can be used in the yard and garden as rich fertilizer
• Use anti-evaporative techniques in the garden
• Install a rainwater harvesting system, and
• Use grey water for the garden.
Look around your bed and breakfast and identify ways that you could
save energy and water
(Source: Sustainability Victoria; Sustainable Energy Development Office; Office of Energy; Australian Hotels Association)