OT If the EU want to do something useful.......rather than pick on vacuum cleaners

[news]

Yesterday afternoon I was in our local market town enjoying a coffee in a regional chain coffee shop - Not the Starbucks or the Costa's but one who is regional to SW England. It was a dank drizzly Tuesday afternoon.

An elderly customer sat a couple of tables away stood up to close the door, but was interrupted by one of the servers who said that they weren't allowed to close the door since they would get in big trouble from head office if the door was closed - apparently the shop is less inviting with the door closed. But we have got the heater above the door on - said the server helpfully.

Having finished my coffee and walking back to my car I noted that just about every shop I passed had the door open (presumably with a big heater above the door).

Are we now as a nation to stupid to open shop doors? I hate to think how much energy we could save by mandating that shop doors had to remain shut except when someone is actually passing though them.

[Tim Watts]

Exactly. And all the offices that leave kWs of lighting on all night...

[Andrew Gabriel]

This isn't new - it's been done for decades. An open door generates unplanned foot-fall, and for many shops, that's the vast majority of their business.

[Tim Watts]

If it were mandated against, all businesses would be on an equal footing. Or would people buy less?

[news]

Just because "its always been done that way" doesn't mean its right - after all we used to have lead in petrol and children up chimneys.

We are all being told to save energy and here is what I would suggest is a massive waste of energy (certainly compared to vacuum cleaners) that could be easily reduced.

[meow2222]

It could. But since there isn't a problem... what's the problem. The only problem afaik is greenies.

NT

[Brian Gaff]

I've often wondered about his. Some doors seem to be closed though and I don't hink it makes a lot of difference to that quaintly named phenomenon, Footfall.

If people want something they will open the door. Surely doors that open when you get close to them could be fitted, and some kind a=of draught reducer could be installed as well, like a piece of partition to stop direct drafts. Who knows. Brian

[newshound]

I'm more likely to walk out of a draughty coffee shop.

[Dave Liquorice]

Too stupid to operate a two sided sign with "Open" on one side, "Closed" on the other(*) or too stupid to be able to read said sign.

All the shop doors down in town are normally closed, the Co-op has an automatic one.

(*) Mind you disgruntled customers can change that on the way out. I needed change for parking (and a coffee would be nice) about 1100. Went into a take away and asked if they could split the fiver I had. No. OK I'll have a coffee to take out. No. Er Why? We are closed. Sign says open. No we are closed. I made sure the sign reflected their stated status as I left. The little grocers two doors down was friendly and quite happy to split the fiver and didn't require a purchase.

[harryagain]

You can get "hot air curtains" that are supposed to prevent draughts. They fit above the door. Eg.

[news]

Yes they have one of these over door versions (or probably a cheap imitation) but it is not very effective at eliminating draughts (and uses a lot more energy than a closed door).

[Nightjar]

...

The idea is to encourage impulse buying so, yes, people probably would buy less.

[Tim Watts]

On 15/10/14 17:57, "Nightjar

[Nightjar]

[Tim Watts]

On 15/10/14 18:21, "Nightjar

[polygonum]

We have a recently built shopping centre which is mostly open - some has a thin plastic roof which keeps rain off but the wind whips through. The heat pouring out of open shop doors is beyond belief. You can feel overheated walking past the shops even in the middle of winter.

Even more ludicrous when you think how many shops try to flog at least some of their wares on the basis of energy saving.

Perhaps every shop should have to display their recent energy usage?

[Nightjar]

[bert]

Build a couple more nukes then who cares?

[Tim Watts]

On 15/10/14 19:57, "Nightjar

[Tim Watts]

That too...