Positive reading from smart-meter pilot 

• Smart metering trial in ten stores saved energy and reduced costs and CO2
• Average of € 566 saved by controlling out-of-hours energy waste
• Reduced average store carbon footprint by 5.5 tonnes CO2 per year

The Peacock Group plc is a leading UK value-for-money fashion retailer. The Group has 450 Peacock stores and 360 Bonmarché stores and employs more than 9 000 people nationwide.

The average electricity bill at each site is around € 7 900 (£ 7 000) per year. Electricity bills based on supplier’s actual or estimated readings lack the accuracy needed to identify potential seasonal and out-of-hours energy wastage. To learn more about the energy consumption in its stores, the Peacock Group selected ten of its sites to install remotely-read half-hourly electricity metering. Analysing the accurate data from the advanced metering system against opening times revealed out-of-hours energy use which could be costed and targeted as energy savings.

Equipment was categorised as essential and non-essential. Business cases were put forward for the investment to change the main electricity distribution boards, enabling non-essential equipment to be automatically switched off when the stores are unoccupied.

Key results

An initial pilot trial revealed the benefits of installing advanced metering and establishing consumption profiles for comparison between stores. The Peacock Group is now developing a benchmarking system as part of an on-going energy reduction plan for identifying and fostering best practices.

The ten stores in the trial saved, on average, € 566 (£ 500) by controlling out-of-hours energy waste, or around 8 % of their energy bills. The individual sites also reduced their average carbon footprints by 5.5 tonnes CO2 per year.