Hobart proves sustainability credentials to NHS using ETL-listed professional dishwashers
ETL’s independent energy efficiency verification helped Hobart gain ground in NHS’s Evergreen Sustainability Supplier Assessment
Founded in 1897 in Ohio, Hobart globally manufactures Professional Foodservice Equipment (PFSE), including ovens and dishwashers. The brand’s kitchen equipment is used in large-scale industrial settings including hotels, restaurants, airlines, and cruise ships.
Due to the wide reach of the UK hospitality and foodservice industry, PFSE is a very important technology for the ETL. Launched in early 2023, its sub-technologies cover Undercounter Dishwashers, Hood-Type Dishwashers, Combination Steam Ovens and Convection Ovens.
Hobart set a standard by becoming the first brand to feature dishwashers in the PFSE technology on the ETL, and to date has four listings. These are the FX-18-02, model numbers FX-10C and FP-10C Undercounter Dishwashers, and two Hood-Type Dishwashers, the AMX-14-02, model numbers AMXR-10B and the AMX-10B.
Hobart FX-10C dishwasher / Hobart AMX-10B and AMXR-10B dishwasher
Tracy Southwell, Managing Director, Hobart UK Equipment Division says, ‘Hobart’s mission is to “wash without water”, and whilst this may not be possible now, it fuels our innovation program to ensure that Hobart produces best in class dishwashers. This is why we didn’t hesitate to be the first dishwasher manufacturer to partner with ETL and list four products.’
In the UK, the energy performance of professional dishwashers is not legislated by regulations such as Ecodesign and Energy Labelling. These regulations improve the energy efficiency of products, with manufacturers required to meet minimum performance standards and declare the energy label class of products so buyers can make informed purchasing decisions.
All Hobart’s products, manufactured in the EU and available in the UK market, comply with EU regulations. However, with no equivalent UK regulation, the ETL bridges the gap, ensuring independent verification of a product’s energy efficiency performance from a trusted source, such as the UK Government. Products listed on the ETL have undergone testing and stringent assessment to earn their place on the list and are among the top 25% most energy efficient products in their class. When manufacturers demonstrate that their dishwashers are ETL listed, it provides buyers with assurance of the product's energy efficiency, as there is no other approval available for this purpose.
The challenge: Complying with the NHS Evergreen Sustainable Supplier Assessment
Hobart often tenders for large-scale contracts, including with the NHS, for example installing its dishwashers in the kitchens of hospitals.
For the NHS to consider taking contractors on, it has specific criteria that it sets out in its Evergreen Sustainable Supplier Assessment, a public procurement framework tender. This assessment ensures that suppliers align with the NHS’s Net Zero and sustainability goals.
Comprised of an online self-assessment tool, the Evergreen assessment allows potential contractors to share sustainability data and information with the NHS. Companies are then awarded a sustainability maturity score, allowing them to compare their standards to those of the NHS and see a clear pathway to progressing in the future.
Once a company has been assessed through the process and met the criteria to be added to the framework, it will be able to tender for future commercial opportunities with the NHS.
With professional dishwashers unregulated in terms of their energy performance, it’s a challenge for companies to demonstrate the energy efficient credentials of this product group to the NHS in terms of the Evergreen assessment. This extends to building trust with purchasers and users, as there’s a lack of clarity around the energy efficiency of dishwashers. However, listing on the ETL demonstrates how efficient they are.
The solution: ETL listing status demonstrates energy efficient credentials
As part of the Evergreen Sustainability Supplier application, Hobart was able to refer to the ETL scheme and the four dishwashers listed, establishing the independent verification of the energy performance of these products.
Hobart was successfully added to the Evergreen framework, which supports its future tendering opportunities with the NHS.
The results: The ETL helps with procurement specification
By referencing the ETL in its Evergreen application, Hobart was able to prove to the NHS that its dishwashers are in the top 25% most energy efficient in the market in their class.
A spokesperson from Hobart said: ETL enables Hobart to clearly sign post independently verified energy efficient dishwashers. With rising energy costs, the cost of running a dishwasher is becoming ever more important. Hobart’s commitment to the ETL scheme complements our over-arching sustainability objectives.
Manufacturers with products listed on the ETL can follow suit and use the ETL status of their products in procurement specification to help show the energy efficiency of their products when tendering for these kinds of commercial contracts, especially in unregulated categories. Find out more on the Manufacturers page.
More information
To find out more about Hobart, head to the company’s website. You can browse Hobart products on the ETL here.
Check out PFSE technology, and its four sub-technologies: Combination Steam Ovens, Convection Ovens, Undercounter Dishwashers and Hood-Type Dishwashers.
Make sure to check out our other PFSE related case studies, including Quintex and its commercial kitchen ventilation control, and Staycold, with its commercial beverage coolers.
If you’re a company and would like to share your energy efficiency story on our website, please email: media@etl.energysecurity.gov.uk.