Much of today’s energy waste in commercial sites sits beyond the main meter.
Across offices, education estates, hospitality venues, retail sites and leisure facilities, everyday plug in equipment often remains powered when it is not needed. Computers, meeting room technology, kitchen appliances, refrigeration, chargers, vending machines and back of house equipment can continue drawing electricity long after a building or space has stopped being used.
Powercor’s partnership with measurable.energy gives clients a practical way to find that waste, control it and turn the results into measurable savings.
Bringing appliance-level insight into energy projects
Powercor has more than 25 years of experience delivering electrical engineering and energy efficiency projects across the UK. The partnership with measurable.energy adds a further layer of insight by showing clients how electricity is being used at appliance level.
The measurable.energy system identifies plugged in equipment, monitors usage and applies automated controls based on real demand. This can reduce unnecessary base load without depending on staff remembering to switch equipment off.
The approach also supports wider building decisions. Appliance data can help estates teams understand how desks, rooms and shared spaces are used. It can identify unusual energy patterns, improve oversight of electrical equipment and provide evidence for carbon reporting.
For Powercor clients, this means energy reduction can become part of a wider electrical and decarbonisation strategy. Powercor can identify where the system is likely to deliver value, introduce measurable.energy at the right stage and support clients through project planning and delivery.
The partnership brings together Powercor’s knowledge of electrical infrastructure with measurable.energy’s appliance data and automated control technology.
Education estates
Schools, colleges and multi academy trusts often manage large numbers of rooms, buildings and devices with limited estates resources.
Classroom equipment, IT suites, meeting spaces, administration areas, canteen appliances and communications rooms can remain powered outside teaching hours. measurable.energy makes this consumption visible and can automatically power down suitable equipment when spaces are not in use.
Our education brochure demonstrates potential energy bill and carbon savings of more than 20 per cent. One primary school achieved annual savings of between £7,000 and £8,000, with an 18 month payback and no disruption to teaching.
Powercor can help education clients assess the electrical estate, prioritise suitable areas and connect appliance control with broader energy efficiency and decarbonisation work. This gives schools a route to lower costs while protecting teaching environments and reducing pressure on staff.
Hospitality, retail and leisure
Hospitality and leisure environments have long operating hours, changing demand and a wide range of equipment.
Kitchens, bars, guest rooms, vending areas and back of house spaces can create a persistent electrical load outside active service periods. Up to 30 per cent of energy in these environments can be wasted by equipment left running outside operating hours.
For operators managing several venues, the opportunity is about consistency as much as savings. Appliance level control allows energy rules to be applied across multiple sites, reducing reliance on manual shutdown routines.
Powercor can help operators understand where this technology fits within their wider electrical estate. This may include identifying priority equipment, planning phased deployment and reviewing how the resulting data can support operational reporting.
The result is tighter control of energy spend without compromising service or guest experience.
Commercial offices
Hybrid working has made office energy use harder to predict.
Buildings may operate with fewer people, yet desks, monitors, meeting room systems, kitchen appliances, portable heaters and communications equipment can continue consuming electricity throughout the day and overnight.
Plug loads can account for 40 per cent of electricity use in commercial office buildings, with up to half of that energy being wasted. Appliance data can be used to support desk and room utilisation decisions, electrical oversight and ESG reporting.
Powercor can use these insights to help clients connect workplace usage with building performance. This can support decisions about space, HVAC operation, equipment replacement and future electrical projects.
A more complete approach to energy reduction
Many organisations already have half hourly metering, building management systems or energy dashboards. These tools provide useful building level information, yet they may not explain which individual appliances are creating avoidable demand.
The Powercor and measurable.energy partnership closes that gap.
Clients gain a clearer view of where electricity is being used, with Powercor providing the electrical knowledge needed to turn that information into a structured plan. This makes it easier to prioritise action, prove savings and build a stronger business case for further energy improvements.
