Retail chain
energy benchmarking
A standard metering kit in every store, reporting to one platform. Compare kWh by store, by hour and by end use, adjusted for floor area and trading hours, and find the stores that need a visit.
THE PROBLEM
Hundreds of bills, no comparison
A retail chain with dozens or hundreds of stores receives a utility bill for each, often from different suppliers on different dates. Finance pays them, but nobody can say which stores are efficient and which are wasting energy, because the bills are monthly and in different formats.
Store energy is driven by a handful of things: HVAC, lighting, refrigeration in food stores, and signage. The same format of store in the same climate should use similar energy per square metre per trading hour. When one does not, there is usually a reason: a faulty time clock, a stuck damper, a fridge door left open.
Finding that reason needs comparable data from every store, which means the same measurement points everywhere.
HOW WE SET IT UP
Standard kit, central data, fair comparisons
A standard store kit
We define a standard set of measurement points: incomer, HVAC, lighting and refrigeration where present. Every store gets the same kit, so the data is comparable from day one.
4G so stores install fast
Each store reports over 4G, independent of store IT and network policies. Installation becomes a repeatable job for your electrical contractor.
Normalise before ranking
Benchmarks are adjusted for floor area, trading hours and format, so a large flagship and a small convenience store are compared fairly.
Exception alerts by store
RIOD Live flags stores using energy outside trading hours or above their peer group, and alerts the area facility manager by WhatsApp or email. Those flags become the visit list for the week.
AT A GLANCE
Retail benchmarking at a glance
- Measured
- kWh by store and time, by end use where sub-metered
- Hardware
- Smart energy sub-meters in a standard store kit; Sense-i nodes for refrigeration temperatures if wanted
- Connectivity
- 4G per store, Wi-Fi where store IT allows
- Alerts
- Out-of-hours and above-peer consumption by WhatsApp, SMS, email or push
- Data goes to
- RIOD Live cloud, or the platform deployed on your own server
- Reports
- Audit trails on every report, PDF and Excel export, AI access to the data through MCP
- Benchmark note
- Benchmarks are adjusted for store size and trading hours
FAQ
Questions buyers ask us
How do retail chains benchmark energy across stores?
By measuring the same points in every store, collecting the data centrally at short intervals and normalising it for floor area, trading hours and format. Stores that sit well above their peer group, or use energy when closed, become the priority list.
Why should store energy benchmarks be adjusted for size and hours?
A larger store open longer will use more energy for legitimate reasons. Dividing by floor area and trading hours separates real inefficiency from difference in size and schedule, which keeps the comparison credible with store managers.
Do the meters need the store network?
They report over 4G, so they work independently of store IT. That avoids firewall approvals and keeps installation the same in every store.
Can refrigeration be monitored as well?
Yes. Refrigeration energy can be sub-metered, and temperature sensors can report alongside it, which links energy spikes to door openings or defrost problems.
Want to compare energy across your stores?
Tell us the number of stores, the formats and what metering exists. We will propose a standard kit and a rollout plan.