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BCW Consultancy x Emma AI

Independent analysis highlights prolonged 24/7 plant operation


45,615

sq ft office building


£250k

annual electricity under review


Up to 4 yrs

suspected waste period


24/7/365

continuous plant operation


  OVERVIEW

Holland & Barrett is working to cut energy costs and strengthen its sustainability commitments across a large and diverse estate. The aim was to introduce automated detection of energy waste at scale and target more than £500k in annual savings, while giving the team clearer data for compliance and future investment planning.


  THE CHALLENGE

BCW was asked to establish whether the cost reflected a billing problem or inefficient operation.

Invoice checks confirmed the rates, tariffs and billing were correct. The remaining challenge was to understand how the building was actually operating when tenants had no visibility of, or control over, the landlord-controlled plant.



  THE APPROACH

01
Review billing data

Confirm invoices, tariffs and rates, ruling out a supplier or billing error.

02
Analyse half-hourly data

Use Emma AI to test for normal shutdown patterns and identify abnormal baseload.

03
Turn evidence into action

Use clear visual evidence to prompt a BMS investigation and test whether corrective action worked.

“The Emma AI analysis made the issue impossible to dispute.”

– Property Consultant, BCW Consultancy

WHY EMMA AI?

✓

Independent validation – objective analysis using billing data alone

✓

No BMS required – insight without system integration.

✓

Clear visual evidence – patterns that could not be dismissed.

✓

Actionable findings – evidence for challenge and corrective action.

What the data found

 

Magnifying glass

No normal shutdown profile

Consumption showed plant running continuously.

Magnifying glass

Initial fix had no effect

The first BMS intervention did not change the pattern.

 

Magnifying glass

Long-running issue indicated

The data suggested waste may have continued for up to four years.

What the analysis proved


Billing was not the cause
Invoices, rates and tariffs were checked and found to be correct.


The building lacked a shutdown profile
Half-hourly data showed continuous plant operation rather than
normal occupied-hours control.


The first intervention was insufficient
A BMS investigation was prompted, but the initial fix produced no
measurable change.


Tenants lacked operational control
The plant sat within the landlord’s demise, leaving tenants unable to
see or control its operation.

Recommended next steps

Collect post-intervention data

Confirm that overnight and
weekend consumption has
reduced.

Quantify the verified reduction

Translate the corrected profile into
service-charge and carbon
impacts.

Review historic charges

Use the evidence to support
negotiation or further professional
advice.

Maintain independent
monitoring

Keep testing plant operation so
the issue does not recur.

 


Why this
mattered?


Commercial challenge

Evidence supported a robust
review of the service charge.


Corrective action

The operating pattern could be
tested after each intervention.


Carbon and historic exposure

Continuous operation implied
avoidable consumption,
emissions and possible historic
overpayments.

Current
Status

Ongoing investigation. Post-intervention data will confirm whether a shutdown profile has been restored and the 2026 budget reduced.

Download the case study

Emma AI - the energy management platform

EMMA AI is a unique Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform that measures energy consumption across your individual sites, pinpointing exactly where money is being wasted and taking proactive measures to reduce the waste – all without having to install a single piece of equipment!

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