Christmas Shutdown Energy Checklist for UK Businesses

Most Christmas shutdown checklists cover locking up, alarms, and out-of-office messages. This holiday shutdown checklist covers energy: what to switch off, what to leave running, what you will still be charged for even with the doors shut, and how to restart safely in January. There are separate sections for hospitality and manufacturing sites because their shutdowns look very different from those at an office.

Why Energy Costs Deserve Attention This Winter

When Ofgem announced its October 2026 price cap, it said wholesale prices had risen by 11% over the previous three months, driven by higher gas prices linked to the conflict in the Middle East. The cap itself protects households, so business customers are not covered by it. Our guide to the business energy price cap explains what that means for your contract, and Another UK Energy Crisis This Winter? looks at the wider market picture. With costs under pressure, a few hours of shutdown planning is a low-effort way to reduce waste.

What Energy Keeps Costing You While You’re Closed

A closed site still incurs costs that do not depend on how much you use it. The standing charge on your bill is a daily charge for being connected to the network, so it applies whether the building is full or empty. If your site has a half-hourly meter, you may also pay a capacity charge. 

SmartestEnergy’s guide explains that these charges reflect the cost of keeping the power your site needs available on the network, and that the network must have that amount available regardless of whether the site uses it. Our guide to non-commodity charges explains how these fixed costs build up on a business bill, and our 2026 business energy rates guide covers standing charges and capacity constraints in more detail.

The part you can change is baseload: the electricity and gas your site uses when nobody is working. Fridges, servers, standby equipment, heating, and compressors all add to it. A shutdown is the easiest time to see your baseload and lower it.

Christmas Shutdown Checklist: Energy Timeline

The steps below are grouped by when to do them, starting four weeks before you close. Adjust the timings to suit your own closure dates and the size of your site.

Four Weeks Before Closing

Contract and planning tasks need the longest lead time, so they come first.

• Check when your energy contract ends. If the end date falls in December or January, speak to your supplier or broker now so you’re not moved onto higher out-of-contract rates over the holiday.
• Ask your broker to confirm your renewal window and any notice period in your contract.
• Book heating, boiler, and plant servicing to be completed before the closure.
• Decide who is responsible for the shutdown routine and who holds the keys and contact list.

Contract timing matters more than most shutdown tasks. Our guide to pass-through and multi-purchase energy contracts explains how the contract type affects what you pay and what to ask your energy broker. You can also book a free energy review.

One Week Before Closing

This is the time to decide what stays on and to brief your team.

• Walk the site with a checklist and list everything that has to stay on, such as alarms, security lighting, fridges and freezers, servers, and frost protection.
• Tell staff which equipment to switch off at the plug and which to leave alone. Standby mode still draws power.
• Set timers and controls for the closure period, including heating, lighting and hot water.
• Speak to your Legionella-responsible person about the water system (see the water section below).
• Agree on a restart plan for January, especially if you run heavy equipment.

On the Last Working Day

These tasks leave the site secure and drawing as little power as possible.

• Take meter readings for gas and any non-smart electricity meters, and keep a record with the date.
• Switch off and unplug non-essential equipment, including kitchen appliances, chargers, screens, printers, and portable heaters.
• Turn off lights and check external lighting and timers.
• Close windows and doors to hold heat in and keep the building secure.
• Do a final walk-around and sign off the checklist.

During the Closure

Even a short closure requires someone responsible to check the site.

• Arrange a short check of the site if it will be empty for more than a few days, covering heating, leaks, and alarms.
• Keep a record of each visit and any water flushing, in case you need to show it later.

On the First Day Back

A careful restart protects your equipment and shows you what the closure actually used.

• Take meter readings again so you can see exactly what the closure used.
• Restart equipment in stages. Starting everything at once creates a demand spike, which can matter if you pay capacity charges.
• Check the water system and temperatures before staff return.

What to Switch Off Over Christmas and What to Keep On

Use this table as a quick reference when you walk the site. The right answer for each item depends on your equipment and insurance, so read the final column before you switch anything off.

Download the Christmas Shutdown Energy Checklist

Want a version you can print and tick off? Our one-page Christmas shutdown energy checklist covers every step in this guide, from checking your contract dates four weeks before you close to restarting equipment in stages when you return. It also includes extra steps for hospitality and manufacturing sites.

Heating and Frost Protection

Turning heating off completely risks frozen and burst pipes, so most businesses set it to a low frost-protection temperature instead. The right setting depends on the building and your insurance. Some insurers set conditions for unoccupied premises, such as a minimum temperature or documented site checks, so check your policy wording, and ask your heating engineer what suits the building. This is general guidance and not insurance advice.

Water Systems and Legionella

A closed building uses little water, and water that sits still can become a Legionella risk. Government guidance on buildings that are closed or have reduced use says the main aims are to prevent stagnation and keep water temperatures between 20 and 50°C, ideally by moving water through pipework and outlets at least once a week. It also says that if the building is closed, the Legionella-responsible person must be told so they can advise on flushing and other steps.

The same guidance says that for buildings that are temporarily shut down, the HSE’s HSG274 approach is not to drain down the pipework, and to have a plan in place for recommissioning the water system. Some insurers ask that water be isolated or drained, so agree a plan with both your Legionella-responsible person and your insurer before you close. Read the full government guidance on closed buildings. It was written for Ministry of Defence sites and draws on HSE guidance, so take advice for your own premises.

Hospitality Shutdown Checklist

Hotels, pubs, and restaurants often have the most equipment that cannot simply be switched off. This part of the checklist is for those sites.

• Decide your stock plan first. Once you know what stays in the fridges, freezers, and cellar, you can switch off or empty the rest.
• Treat cold storage asset by asset. Most refrigeration runs around the clock, so check whether any units can be emptied, cleaned, and switched off for the closure.
• Fully shut down kitchen equipment, including fryers, ovens, extraction, coffee machines, and glass washers, following the manufacturer’s procedure.
• Switch off bar equipment, ice machines, display lighting, and music systems at the plug.
• Ask about water outlets. Showers, taps, ice machines and hoses that sit unused are the ones that matter for Legionella control.
• Keep guest areas, or any rooms you plan to reopen early, on a separate heating schedule.

If you run several venues, compare their overnight baseload during the closure. Venues that use far more than similar sites are usually leaving something on. Smart sub metering shows which circuits are responsible.

Manufacturing Shutdown Checklist

Manufacturing shutdowns involve heavy plant, process equipment, and large loads, so the potential for savings and the restart risk are both greater than for an office.

• Shut down compressors and compressed-air equipment when they’re not needed. Carbon Trust guidance says reducing air leaks is the single most important energy-saving measure for most businesses.
• Use the shutdown to listen for compressed-air leaks. The Carbon Trust’s compressed air guidance puts the cost of a single 3mm hole at over £1,000 a year in electricity. That figure dates from 2012, so treat it as a guide and ask a leak-survey specialist to size the cost at today’s prices.
• Follow the manufacturer’s shutdown order for furnaces, ovens, boilers, and process heating, and keep a written restart sequence.
• Decide which process cooling, refrigeration, and controls must keep running.
• Switch off lighting, extraction and ventilation in unused areas, but check safety requirements first.
• Restart in stages. SmartestEnergy’s guide notes that since April 2018, customers who exceed their allocated capacity can pay excess capacity charges of up to three times the standard rate, so check your peak demand against your agreed capacity before you restart.

Energy-intensive manufacturers should also check support schemes before the end of the year. Applications for the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) close on the 30th of November 2026, before most shutdowns begin. Our guide to the Energy Intensive Industries Scheme (BICS) covers who qualifies and how to apply. If your site has a Climate Change Agreement, check whether a long shutdown will affect your reporting with the person who manages your agreement.

Use the Shutdown to Find Savings

A closed site gives you clean data. If you have half-hourly or smart meter data, look at what the site drew overnight and over the holiday. Anything above your expected baseload is equipment running that shouldn’t be, and it’s usually fixable. If you want a proper review, a business energy audit will trace where the energy goes (our complete guide to business energy audits explains what it involves), and an energy procurement review will check whether your contract still suits how your sites run. Businesses that can shift usage may also be interested in commercial energy flexibility.

Christmas Shutdown Energy FAQs

These are the questions businesses most often ask when planning a Christmas closure, answered briefly.

Should I turn my heating off over Christmas?

Most businesses lower the heating to a frost-protection setting and keep it on, because turning it off completely risks frozen pipes. Ask your heating engineer for the right setting and check your insurance policy for any conditions.

Do I still pay standing charges when my business is closed?

Yes. Standing charges apply to every day your supply is connected, whether or not you use any energy. Half-hourly sites may also pay capacity charges, which cover the power reserved for the site.

What should I switch off over a Christmas shutdown?

Switch off non-essential equipment at the plug, including computers, screens, printers, kitchen appliances and portable heaters. Leave on anything needed for security, safety, frost protection or stock, such as alarms, fridges and freezers holding stock, and servers.

Do I need to flush taps in an empty building?

Government guidance on closed buildings says water should be kept moving through pipework and outlets at least once a week, and that the Legionella-responsible person should be told when a building is closed. They will advise on flushing for your site.

Can I change my energy contract during the Christmas break?

It depends on your contract’s renewal window and notice period. If your contract ends in December or January, speak to your supplier or broker before you close so you’re not moved onto out-of-contract rates.

Can I get out of a business energy contract if I am closing for Christmas?

A temporary closure does not normally change your obligations under a fixed-term contract. Early exit terms and charges are set out in your contract, so check them or ask your broker before assuming you can leave.

Is it cheaper to leave the heating on low or turn it off?

For an empty business building, a low frost-protection setting is the usual choice because fully switching off heating risks frozen pipes and restart problems. The cost depends on the building, its insulation and your tariff, so ask your heating engineer to confirm the setting.

What uses the most electricity in an empty business building?

Equipment left on standby or running by design, such as servers, refrigeration, heating controls, compressors, and lighting on timers. Looking at your overnight baseload on a smart or half-hourly meter shows you which of these is the biggest.

What is baseload?

Baseload is the amount of electricity your site uses when nobody is working. A Christmas shutdown is a good time to measure it because there is very little activity to hide behind.

Should I take meter readings before and after the shutdown?

Yes. Readings on your last working day and first day back show what the closure used, helping you spot estimated bills that do not match your actual use.

What should a restaurant, pub, or hotel switch off over Christmas?

Shut down cooking, extraction, bar and display equipment fully, and decide asset by asset which cold storage can be emptied and switched off. Anything holding stock or needed for safety should stay on, and water outlets should be covered in your Legionella plan.

What should a factory do with compressed air during a shutdown?

Switch compressors off when they are not needed, and use the quiet period to find and fix leaks. Plan a staged restart so you do not create a demand spike when everything comes back at once.

Sources

1. GOV.UK. TB 2021-01: Water hygiene guidance for buildings or sites closed or subject to reduced occupancy. Accessed October 6th, 2026
2. SmartestEnergy Business. Capacity Charges: what you need to know. Accessed October 6th, 2026
3. The Carbon Trust. How companies can save money from thin air. January 25th, 2012
4. Ofgem. Energy price cap will rise by 4% from October 2026. August 26th, 2026
5. GOV.UK. British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme: guidance for applicants. October 2nd, 2026