Effective energy governance for food and drink manufacturers

In the fast-paced world of food and drink manufacturing, even the smallest of voltage dip can spell disaster. Heavy, often inflexible, electricity and heat loads are driven by refrigeration, thermal processes, high‑speed packaging lines and more. Small power outages have big impact and eat into margins. 

Food and drink manufacturers must treat energy governance as a board-level priority. It’s about protecting what matters most. Let’s explore three areas your team must be considering, to ensure effective governance and risk management processes across your energy strategy.

Measure What Matters 

Start by embedding comprehensive measurement and verification from day one. This ensures finance teams and auditors can confidently sign off on investment plans, avoiding last-minute surprises. Key performance indicators should be tied to what matters most: 

• £/MWh avoided – quantify cost savings
• CO₂ per tonne produced – track decarbonisation progress
• Self-consumption % – maximise on-site energy use
• Minutes of protected operation during grid events – ensure resilience
• Verified savings vs baseline – prove impact 

These metrics translate energy performance into tangible business value.

Make reviews actionable 

Quarterly energy reviews shouldn’t be a tick-box exercise. They must evolve into strategic checkpoints that guide your energy roadmap. Rather than simply reporting past performance, reviews should answer: What needs to change next? 

As the energy transition progresses, your operational context will shift in line with evolving market conditions, regulatory updates or internal priorities. In response, your energy reviews should be structured to: 

• Identify underperforming assets or systems
• Reallocate investment towards high-impact areas
• Adjust KPIs to reflect evolving business goals
• Engage cross-functional teams in decision-making 

Digital platforms can support by providing the transparency and data granularity needed to support these decisions. Together, this will ensure that reviews lead to action – not just insight. 

Mitigate Energy Risks Proactively 

Energy risk management must be cross-functional. Create forums that enable open conversations across teams, to help identify and address vulnerabilities early. Focus on: 

• Safety and quality: Build redundancy and fail-safe modes into system designs, tested under real operating conditions.
• Production disruption: Align upgrades with shutdowns and shoulder periods; commission in parallel where feasible.
• Under-delivery: Demand performance guarantees tied to outputs you value—such as kWh generated or system availability.
• Technology lock-in: Choose modular systems with open controls to avoid stranded costs.
• Accounting alignment: Engage finance, procurement and audit teams early. Build sensitivities into your business case to ensure it holds up across multiple scenarios. 

Next steps? 

Energy is a source of resilience, agility and competitive advantage. For food and drink manufacturers, where margins are tight and uptime is critical, energy strategy must be integrated into core business planning. 

We can help you to unlock this potential by: 

• Designing energy systems that support production continuity
• Delivering verified savings that improve financial performance
• Enabling decarbonisation without compromising operational goals
• Providing modular, future-proof solutions that adapt as your needs evolve 

By treating energy as a strategic asset, manufacturers can reduce exposure to market volatility, meet sustainability targets, and build a more robust foundation for growth.