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Understanding where the energy goes is the first step to paying less for it. Here is what typical motor trade usage looks like across the UK.
Figures are estimates from published UK benchmarks priced at 25p/kWh electricity, 7p/kWh gas and about £365 a year in standing charges. They are not quotes. See how we estimate.
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Each page has the typical bill, the equipment that drives it and the questions owners ask us most. Pick the closest match; you can refine it in the quote.
Typical bill £4.5k–£16k a year
Biggest load: Roller brake tester and its drive motors
See MOT test centre energyTypical bill £4.5k–£29.6k a year
Biggest load: Screw or piston air compressor feeding the workshop ring main
See service or repair garage energyTypical bill £8k–£56.2k a year
Biggest load: Spray booth burner and bake cycles
See bodyshop or spray booth energyTypical bill £3.7k–£17.6k a year
Biggest load: Air compressor for impact guns and tyre inflation
See tyre or exhaust centre energyTypical bill £2.5k–£17.1k a year
Biggest load: Hot water generation for pressure washers
See hand car wash energyTypical bill £14.6k–£88.9k a year
Biggest load: High bay lighting across a tall workshop
See HGV or fleet workshop energyIndependent garages, MOT test centres, accident repair centres and bodyshops, tyre and exhaust depots, hand car washes and HGV workshops. Workshop trades run compressors, ramps, high bay lighting and warm air heating from first job to last, and most sit on rollover or deemed rates they never chose.
Screw and piston compressors pulling power all day whether a tool is on the trigger or not
Roller shutter doors standing open in January while gas warm air heaters fight the cold
High bay lighting over every ramp and across the forecourt, on from open to close
Spray booths and bake cycles that burn more energy in an hour than an office uses in a week
The kit that dominates the bill, with the annual kWh and cost bands we see in published benchmarks. Knowing this helps us match a tariff to your usage pattern.
| Equipment | kWh a year | Cost a year (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Air Compressor (screw or piston) | 7,200–26,400 kWh | £1,800–£6,600 |
| Workshop & Forecourt Lighting | 8,000–25,000 kWh | £2,000–£6,300 |
| Workshop Space Heating (gas warm air / radiant) | 25,000–200,000 kWh | £1,750–£14,000 |
| Spray Booth & Bake Cycles | 27,000–96,000 kWh | £1,900–£13,200 |
| Vehicle Lifts, Ramps & MOT Bay Equipment | 2,500–9,000 kWh | £625–£2,250 |
| Jet Wash, Vacuums & Hot Water | 4,000–18,000 kWh | £1,000–£4,500 |
Fix compressed air leaks first. A single 3 mm leak on a workshop ring main can waste roughly £700 to £1,000 of electricity a year, and most garages have several.
Fit a variable speed drive to the compressor and drop the pressure setting to the lowest your air tools actually need. Every 1 bar of unnecessary pressure adds roughly 7% to compressor energy.
Replace fluorescent or metal halide high bays with LED and put motion sensors over bays that are not in constant use. Lighting is usually the largest single electricity load in a workshop.
Fit fast acting or insulated roller shutter doors and air curtains. In a heated workshop, most of the gas bill walks out with every vehicle that comes in.
On a spray booth, run variable speed drives on the fans and fit a control that ramps the burner and fans down in standby. Booth suppliers report gas savings of up to about 30% and electricity savings of 20 to 50% from that alone.
Illustrative example
Four ramps, a compressor and a gas-heated workshop
Compressors, lifts and space heating for an open-fronted workshop drive a winter-heavy bill.
Illustrative example, not a real customer. Figures are estimates based on published UK benchmarks. See how we estimate. See all worked examples.
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Switching your energy supplier is just the start. Our team can help you reduce consumption too — with expert energy audits, LED lighting upgrades, refrigeration optimisation, and solar PV installations.
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Learn moreUpgrade your heating systems with smart controls to reduce waste.
Learn morePart of the Smart Energy group — trusted by businesses like Bargoed YMCA and Treforest Football Club for energy efficiency solutions across Wales and the UK.
Get a tariff matched to how a motor trade actually uses energy: the equipment, the hours and the fuels on your meters.
