Home and garden retailer Robert Dyas has streamlined its energy management practices, resulting in a 20% reduction in energy costs, equivalent to £600,000 worth of savings in just three months, and saved 285 tonnes of CO2.
Robert Dyas partnered with proptech firm Facilio for the project, deploying Facilio’s connected buildings platform across their 93 stores and its distribution centre.
Charlotte Walker, Robert Dyas’ CFO, said: “It took a combination of using the right technology and a cultural shift to get here. The change centred around instilling a cost-conscious culture and encouraging responsible spending.
“When we decided to tackle energy cost reduction as a strategic priority proactively, we found the perfect partner in Facilio – their platform meaningfully connects people, processes, and systems to achieve remarkable results.”
As part of the transformation project, smart meters were installed across Robert Dyas’ 93 stores and distribution centre. The installations were done during off-peak hours to avoid disrupting operations. Facilio’s connected buildings platform enabled them to gain extensive visibility over their entire portfolio of stores, along with access to real-time insights and analysis into consumption, which helped them visualise better.
Real-time reports and indicators such as heatmaps and energy consumed per sq meter helped Robert Dyas identify the exact causes for a spike in energy consumption and take corrective action.
Prabhu Ramachandran, CEO of Facilio, added: “The energy crisis of 2022 prompted many companies in the retail sector to reassess their approaches to energy consumption. The rising energy prices weren’t helping either, taking this into the boardroom discussions of most UK-based enterprises.
“But Robert Dyas was one of the few who had the foresight to proactively address energy optimiSation on a larger scale through their cultural transformation and technology-driven strategy. Their readiness allowed them to navigate intricate compliance regulations and mounting cost pressures confidently.”
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