Last week, Utopi partnered with CUBO (College & University Business Officers) to host a Round Table for estates leaders across Higher Education. The session brought together professionals facing many of the same challenges: rising energy costs, growing sustainability demands, and the need to provide safe, high-quality living spaces for students.
For those unable to attend, here are some of the key takeaways, and an introduction to how Utopi can help.
The Pressures on University Estates
Universities are expected to deliver against ambitious Net Zero commitments while operating in an environment of budget pressures and increasing regulatory scrutiny. Utopi have been working with the Higher Education Sector to understand some key pain points experienced by the sector in estates management:
- Cost Control
Managing energy and utility expenses across large, complex estates.
- Student Engagement
Encouraging behaviour change to reduce energy consumption.
- Consumption Insights
Gaining real-time visibility into energy, water, and carbon footprints.
- Asset Performance
Understanding how individual buildings, spaces, and systems perform.
- Net Zero
Refurbishing and retro fitting aging stock to meet future expectations.
Balancing these competing priorities requires clear insight and the ability to act quickly.
How Utopi Supports Universities
Utopi is an ESG Data Platform designed specifically for multi-tenant environments such as student accommodation and university residences. Already trusted by over half of the UK’s purpose-built student accommodation operators, we are now bringing these benefits to university estates.
Our technology focuses on three core areas:
- Performance Reporting
Estate-wide visibility into energy use, environmental conditions, and asset performance, giving teams the data they need to make strategic and operational decisions. - Advanced Temperature Control
Tools that prevent overheating, reduce waste, and cut energy bills, all while maintaining comfort for residents. - Resident Engagement
Involving students directly in sustainability efforts, improving behaviour change, reducing consumption, and building a stronger sense of community.
Retrofit hardware installs in minutes, allowing universities to quickly transform their estates without the disruption of major capital projects.
From Insight to Impact
During the roundtable, we shared examples of the impact Utopi Data has delivered:
- Carter’s Yard: Over £28,000 and 18,000kg Carbon saved at one site through reduced energy waste.
- Resident Engagement: 43% Carbon Savings across three assets through Resident Engagement and Education.
- Cost Savings: £327/bed saved in just one heating season, through Utopi Smart Panel Heaters.
Utopi has proven that data-driven estates management not only supports sustainability and efficiency, but also strengthens the student experience.
What’s Next
This session also looked forward to the future of estates management. Utopi is continuing to expand our capabilities, from enhanced risk management features to more powerful reporting tools. These innovations are designed to make data even more actionable for those in the day-to-day of building management, so keep an eye out on what’s to come…
Learn More
If you weren’t able to join us but would like to understand how Utopi can support your university estate, please find a video of the full session below, or reach directly to us directly.