How can monitoring electricity help your business?
Electricity bills keep climbing, ESG reporting is no longer optional, and everyone’s under pressure to reduce emissions. So it’s no surprise that energy monitoring is becoming a priority across sectors. But here's the catch: monitoring doesn't mean slapping meters on everything that moves. The real value comes from doing it strategically.
In other words, it’s not about how many meters you have. It’s about where they are, what they measure, and whether they help you act.
Why energy monitoring matters now
When you don’t know where your energy is going, you’re left guessing. Is the HVAC eating your budget? Are machines running outside of production hours? Is the lighting still on in empty rooms? Without visibility, you can’t answer these questions, let alone fix them.
Smart energy monitoring puts the data in your hands. And once you can see the patterns, waste becomes obvious, equipment inefficiencies stand out, and savings are within reach. You're not just collecting data; you're unlocking decisions.
But before you go shopping for dozens of meters, let’s rethink the approach.
How many meters do you really need?
Start with one main meter for the entire building or facility. This gives you the big picture. Then add sub-meters on your top energy consumers—usually between three and seven.
Think HVAC, refrigeration, production lines, large motors, or compressors. These are your cost centers, and they deserve a closer look. Once you've covered the top energy hogs, you're already capturing 80 to 90 percent of the meaningful data.
Monitoring every appliance or plug rarely makes sense. The cost and complexity quickly outweigh the benefits. You don’t need a meter on every kettle or desk lamp. Focus your effort where it counts.
How this plays out across different sectors
Offices and commercial buildings
In most office settings, HVAC and lighting dominate. Monitor those first. If you manage multi-tenant buildings, sub-metering by floor or tenant helps with cost allocation and better engagement. Plug loads are often negligible, unless you’re managing dense data floors or critical IT equipment.
Industrial and manufacturing sites
Energy use in manufacturing often mirrors production output. Sub-metering specific machines, motors, or lines helps you calculate energy per unit produced. That’s powerful insight. You can benchmark performance, identify bottlenecks, and spot signs of wear or failure before they turn into downtime.
Real estate portfolios and multi-site operators
Start with a main meter per site, then sub-meter shared services like HVAC or lighting in common areas. By aggregating the data across your portfolio, you can see which buildings are performing well, which ones lag behind, and where to focus your energy-saving efforts. It’s the foundation for smart portfolio management.
The payoff: what you gain when you do it right
When you monitor strategically, you're not just collecting numbers—you’re creating opportunities:
Lower energy bills through targeted upgrades and behavioural changes
Earlier fault detection, avoiding breakdowns and unplanned costs
Better decisions on maintenance and capital investment
More accurate sustainability reporting and ESG compliance
Benchmarking performance across teams, sites, or tenants
It’s not about overloading yourself with data. It’s about getting the right data that drives meaningful action.
The bottom line
Before you install a single meter, ask yourself: What am I trying to change? Where are my biggest costs? What kind of insight would help my team make smarter decisions?
Start with the main meter and layer on monitoring where it adds value. And don’t get lost in the weeds of measuring every wire. Precision beats volume.
Do you need help mapping out what that looks like for your organisation? We’re here to help you tailor the right monitoring setup—no fluff, just what works.
