ECONOMIC MECHANISMS FOR REDUCING ENERGY COSTS IN RETAIL AND FOOD SERVICE ENTERPRISES

This article develops an integrated economic framework for reducing energy expenditure in retail and food service enterprises. It combines energy-use normalization, life-cycle investment appraisal, operational incentives, procurement decisions and risk-adjusted implementation. Evidence from the International Energy Agency, the U.S. Energy Information Administration and ENERGY STAR supports the importance of sector-specific measures. A transparent illustrative model for a retail store and a restaurant in Uzbekistan compares investment costs, electricity savings, operating benefits, payback periods and net present values. At an assumed electricity price of UZS 1,200/kWh and an 18% discount rate, both modelled packages yield positive NPVs, but results remain sensitive to realized savings and tariff assumptions. The study proposes a staged management mechanism linking audits, metering, financial screening, employee incentives and post-investment verification. All numerical business-case inputs are hypothetical and should not be interpreted as surveyed enterprise data.