Scotland’s largest independent cash-and-carry and wholesale operator, United Wholesale Scotland (UWS), has identified a further £18,000 to £21,700 in annual savings opportunities at its Queenslie headquarters in Glasgow through Phase 2 of its energy optimisation programme with global climate tech firm IES.
Building on the success of Phase 1, which used live performance monitoring linked to a calibrated digital twin of the site, the latest work saw IES and UWS partner with MeterZ to deploy a rapid, cost-effective metering strategy across key operational areas.
The approach combined 30 days of half-hourly data from existing automatic meter reading (AMR) meters with flexible clamps on main consumers for targeted monitoring. Within just two weeks, the enhanced data analysis delivered actionable insights across lighting, gas scheduling, refrigeration, compactor use, solar PV generation, EV charging and forklift charging.
Phase 2 identified total annual savings opportunities of 117 to 140 MWh, equivalent to an 8% to 10% reduction in site Energy Use Intensity (EUI). These measures could save UWS between £18,000 and £21,700 per year.
The largest opportunity came from gas use scheduling, where optimisation could save 85 to 102 MWh and £8,500 to £10,200 annually. Further savings were identified through lighting optimisation outside operating hours (£3,000 to £4,000), reducing idle compactor consumption (approximately £3,500), and overnight refrigeration optimisation (£3,000 to £4,000).
The additional metering also strengthens UWS’s ability to monitor and validate performance over time. Installed metering includes sub-metering of general lighting, automated PV meter readings for more accurate generation tracking, and monitoring of refrigeration, EV and forklift charging to help manage emerging electrical loads.
The latest findings build on Phase 1, where IES Live identified potential annual savings of £25,000 to £30,600 within 12 weeks, alongside opportunities to reduce gas consumption by 39% and annual electricity use by 9%. The initial phase highlighted potential measures including LED screen optimisation, warehouse zoning, access door control, heating optimisation and solar PV performance improvements.
One of the most significant Phase 1 findings related to LED advertising screens in the main cash-and-carry area, which were found to account for approximately 25% of total site electricity demand at an annual cost of more than £77,000. Using the digital twin, UWS was able to test practical control strategies including dimming screen brightness and linking screens to daylight sensors, indicating potential savings of between £11,000 and £14,500 per year.
The analysis also showed that the site’s solar PV system was generating around 50% less energy than expected due to maintenance issues, affecting both on-site energy performance and Feed-in Tariff income. With additional metering now in place, UWS can track PV performance through IES Live to validate maintenance works and improve returns from the existing system.
Jason Butler, head of operations at United Wholesale Scotland, said: “The insights we’ve gained through IES Live have delivered real value. Working closely with the IES team, we’ve identified operational inefficiencies that simply weren’t visible before and quickly turned those findings into measurable savings. From optimising our LED screens to improving solar PV performance, the platform has given us the data needed to make informed decisions with confidence. As we expand this approach across multiple UWS sites, IES Live will continue to play a key role in improving efficiency, reducing costs, and supporting our sustainability goals”.
Hannah Schmidt, strategic partnerships lead at MeterZ said: “Our collaboration with IES demonstrated the value of combining live smart metering with live operational insight. MeterZ’s solution improved visibility across the Queenslie site, helping to uncover significant opportunities to reduce energy waste, optimise operational performance and support UWS’s wider net-zero goals.”
Laurie McKelvie, Technical Delivery Lead – IES Live at IES, added: “For many large operational sites, the challenge is not a lack of ambition but a lack of visibility over how buildings are actually performing in use. By combining live operational data, targeted metering and a calibrated digital twin, UWS can move beyond assumptions and make faster, evidence-based decisions around maintenance, operational performance and future investment. This second phase demonstrates how granular metering can turn live insight into measurable action – reducing waste, improving asset performance and supporting a scalable route to net zero.”
In Case You Missed It:
The UWS team has already actioned the first tranche of operational observations, with ongoing monitoring now in a validation phase. The identified Phase 2 measures, paired with Phase 1 modelling results, are expected to enable UWS to unlock operational and retrofit savings of £18,000 to £36,000 over the coming 18 months as it implements its strategy, informed by live data and continuously validated through IES Live.
The project points to a wider challenge facing large operational sites: without accurate, live performance data, it can be difficult to distinguish between assumed building performance and what is actually happening in use. For UWS, combining live monitoring with a calibrated digital twin and targeted metering has provided a more practical basis for reducing waste, improving returns from existing assets and planning the next stage of decarbonisation with greater confidence.
Read more on the UWS project here: https://www.iesve.com/discoveries/view/63225/united-wholesale-scotland-ies-live
