Robert Dyas enlists IoT software firm Facilio to cut down CO2 emissions and reduce energy costs

Home and garden retailer, Robert Dyas, has partnered with PropTech firm Facilio and NJRobinson to streamline its energy management practices.

The company reported a 20% reduction in energy costs, equivalent to 600,000 pounds worth of savings in just three months of deploying Facilio’s Connected buildings platform across its 93 stores and distribution centre. It was also able to save 285 tonnes of CO2 through its energy savings programme.

Robert Dyas’ CFO Charlotte Walker says: “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 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 the retailer to gain extensive visibility over its entire portfolio of stores, along with access to real-time insights and analysis into consumption, which helped it visualise better.

Real-time reports and indicators such as heatmaps and energy consumed per sq metre etc. helped it identify the exact causes for a spike in energy consumption and take corrective action.

Prabhu Ramachandran, CEO at Facilio says: “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.”

Nick Robinson, Managing Partner at NJ Robinson says “This project was a testament to the fantastic collaboration between all teams, including operations, finance and store managers, and proof that significant energy savings, supported with data that delivers actionable insights, can be achieved with limited resources and capital expenditure.”

“Facilio enabled the teams to access and action the insights on energy consumption within minutes, allowing those small incremental changes to be made that delivered such great results for Robert Dyas.”