The Gym Group
Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) water devices roll-out
Background
The Gym Group was the pioneer of low cost, 24/7 gyms in the UK. With a goal to break down barriers to fitness for all, the company’s founding mission is to support healthier communities with accessible fitness facilities.
The company is also a sector leader in sustainability and the world’s first fitness operator to have a net zero emissions target validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
Inspired has been collaborating with The Gym Group since 2017, providing procurement and bill validation for all utilities across their large and diverse estate.
The Challenge
Effective water management addresses challenges Inspired refers to as the “4Cs”: Cost, Consumption, Carbon and Compliance.
Building an accurate image of an organisation’s water consumption allows unusual patterns to be pinpointed, efficiencies uncovered and leaks promptly fixed. These efforts create carbon savings, which in turn can bolster an organisation’s wider sustainability reporting.
With over 900,000 members and 245+ gyms nationwide, water is a substantial consideration for The Gym Group – from hydration during exercise to providing shower and bathroom facilities.
The Gym Group were interested in Inspired’s Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) water devices to better track their usage across their estate of 246 water meters, identify issues with higher consuming sites, and receive accurate billing from their water supplier.
The Solution
Inspired’s water team collaborated with the leading technology providers in the water space to offer the first cost-effective water monitoring solution for multi-site estates.
Following a successful pilot, a phased roll out scheme to install water monitoring devices with remote read transmission at an initial 50 sites was undertaken in July 2023.
The Results
The roll-out realised numerous benefits:
- Damaged items could be identified:
- Broken meters which required replacing.
- Damaged chamber lids.
- Weekly reads submitted to suppliers to ensure accurate consumption measurement and billing.
What happens next?
Following a successful trial and initial rollout in 2023, The Gym Group signed up for a second rollout in 2024 and a third in 2025.
The next wave of water-saving measures includes extending the roll-out to the remaining UK gyms, replacing damaged assets and facilitating data access for digital meters.
At a glance
246 water meter estate nationwide.
Initial roll-out of AMR water devices across 50 sites in 2023.
Next steps include extending the roll-out to the remaining UK gyms.
“Installation of AMR across our sites allowed us to league table our consumption and accurately compare water usage week by week and normalise usage for number of visits. We are able to reduce consumption and cost, delivering on both our commercial goals and sustainability strategy.”
Ash Challen, Head of Facilities Management at The Gym Group
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