“This has been particularly helpful for our UK and international customers, enabling them to quickly address problems such as faulty equipment or energy being left on, to give them the level of insight and control needed to monitor energy consumption. In addition to our own reports, we can also use The Utopi Platform to analyse energy profiles and identify any issues. ”Shaun Morris - Account Director, Ignite Energy
Energy remains one of the most powerful forces shaping the Build-to-Rent (BTR) sector. Costs are rising, regulatory scrutiny is tightening, and residents are increasingly focused on affordability and efficiency. As heating seasons kick into full gear, the conversation tends to focus on heating, resident behaviour, and procurement strategies.
But there is a major inefficiency hiding in plain sight: amenity-space energy waste.
Gyms, lounges, coworking suites, cinema rooms, atriums and rooftop terraces define modern BTR living. They differentiate developments, build community and support brand identity. Yet these shared spaces are among the least monitored and least optimised energy consumers in the asset.
So, how can you reduce energy waste this heating season? And how can you enhance visibility of energy consumption in these amenity spaces? That’s where Utopi come in.
The Hidden Amenity Waste.
BTR has matured through a decade of amenities innovation. Resident lounges, pet-friendly areas, wellness studios and gaming spaces have become standard expectations. But many owners are now questioning utilisation versus operational cost.
Internal audits across portfolios routinely reveal patterns like:
- Gyms heated overnight despite very little, or no, footfall
- Cinema rooms climate-controlled without confirmed bookings
- Communal lobbies heated to above 24°C while exterior doors remain open
- Show apartments heated and well lit without viewings booked that day
This all adds up to energy waste. But let us be clear, this is not about bad management – it is about lack of visibility.Operators simply cannot optimise what they cannot see, and without granular data and without real-time insights it can be almost impossible to know what utilisation looks like and know where to start when it comes to optimising energy consumption.
The beauty of data is it enhances understanding. Understanding of how these amenity spaces are being used, how residents interact with them, and then energy reduction strategies can be designed based on evidence, not assumptions.
Key questions to be asking of data include:
- When are lounges actually used?
- Are there times amenity spaces are being utilised?
- Do heating schedules reflect occupancy?
- Are we heating for design intent rather than real behaviour?
But where do you even start?
“What I value most [With Utopi] is how naturally the platform fits into our existing working day, especially when incorporating the alerts system. Instead of exporting data and processing it ourselves, everything we need is presented in a way that’s immediately useful. It’s significantly reduced the time we spend on admin, and given us a far more intuitive way to understand what’s going on. Overall, it’s just a much smoother and more efficient experience.”Dan James - Operations Manager, Mezzino
Utopi, Intelligence that Delivers.
At Utopi, we think the industry is ready for the next stage in asset performance: operating buildings based on data and evidence, not assumption.
We provide granular, room-level, real-time insights that show operators exactly:
- How much energy each space consumes,
- When it is being used,
- Where overheating or outliers occur, and
- Which spaces drive disproportionate energy consumption.
This is more than monitoring — it’s visibility that enables action. Instead of discovering inefficiencies months later through utility bills, operators get alerts in real time and can analyse amenity space usage in real time too. These insights empower on-site teams to react — not retrospectively, but in the moment, seeing significant reductions in what we would class as energy waste.
Utopi enables BTR operators to:
- See granular, room level insights in amenity spaces
- Detect waste or comfort issues in real-time
- Benchmark performance across buildings and industry averages
- Drive continuous improvement instead of reactive fixes
- Enhance operational efficiency and reduce energy waste
Utopi transforms amenity spaces from passive consumers into active contributors to value. And where energy waste reduces, associated costs do too, meaning the impact on NOI (net operating income) cannot be overlooked.
“Utopi are a core addition to all Moda Living sites in the UK, because they offer a solution simply unmatched in the market. Bringing together ESG data and allowing us to measure, monitor and improve our environmental impact is key for anyone in real estate….”Oscar Brookes - Board Director, Moda Living
Is this Heating Season the Turning Point?
BTR has built its reputation on exceptional resident experience. But this heating season, exceptional experience should also include energy optimisation — it’s about smart, responsible, data-led operations.
Three key pressures dominate the sector this winter:
- Affordability – Residents are increasingly conscious of energy costs.
- ESG scrutiny – Investors expect measurable reductions in operational carbon, not just narrative reporting.
- Operational resilience – Efficient buildings retain residents, attract capital, and deliver long-term performance.
Every kilowatt-hour wasted in an underutilised lounge or communal area undermines these objectives. Amenity spaces should enhance the living environment, not inflate costs and carbon emissions.
With granular, real-time insights, operators can finally optimise these signature spaces — protecting comfort, cost performance and sustainability outcomes.
Energy waste has been hiding in plain sight. But this winter, the leaders in the BTR sector will make sure it doesn’t stay there.