The installation of a cold room is essential for many farm shops, food retailers, and pharmaceutical businesses but, with pressure growing on finances and the looming threat of economic uncertainty in the UK, it may be tempting to reduce costs in the short-term. However, the cold room installation cost should never be the sole consideration when choosing a unit for your business. The size and quality of the store, the reputation of the manufacturer, and their after-sales services and technical support all affect running costs. Economising now could cost more in the long run. If you’re planning on installing a cold room, what factors should you take into consideration?
Efficiency & Running Costs
Selecting a cold room that offers just enough capacity for an average working day may seem logical when choosing the size of the unit. However, seasonal fluctuations mean that additional capacity may be required at certain points of the year. If this means a cold room isn’t full all-year-round, this isn’t a bad thing: extra capacity means improved efficiency and lower running costs. A single, large cold room is more energy efficient than several smaller units, so don’t discount larger stores simply because they may not always be full.
Also, remember to check the energy efficiency rating that new cold stores must display: the higher the rating, the better its efficiency and the lower the running costs. It may cost extra initially, but long-term value for money is essential for all successful businesses.
Type Of Cold Store
Cold stores can be integral – installed within your main premises with all the necessary equipment built-in – or remote. While a remote unit may be the simplest solution, as it can be positioned away from existing buildings without the need for internal alterations or reconfiguration of existing space, the initial cost may be higher due to additional installation work, such as piping, or weatherproofing and roofing, in the case of an external unit. Also, you may need to check with your Local Authority whether planning consent is required for a remote unit.
After-Sales Service
Purchasing a reliable cold store from a trustworthy installer is a great starting point, which will reduce the chance of technical problems arising in future. However, all cold rooms need regular maintenance to keep them in optimum condition. If a technical issue does occur, you need the reassurance that it will be resolved quickly – or else damage to your stock and the consequential financial loss could be serious. Therefore, it makes logical business sense to invest in a high-quality cold room from a dependable supplier who can offer excellent ongoing servicing, spare parts and repairs.
Next Steps
At MTCSS, our pre-installation and after-sales service and support is second-to-none, so you can be confident that your cold store will offer reliability and durability for years. To find out more about our cold rooms and how we can work in partnership with your business, feel free to get in touch.
