BILLA Bulgaria — the grocery chain with the largest store network in the country and part of Germany’s REWE Group — operates 173 stores and 3 logistics centers. Since 2023 the company has been monitoring their water consumption in real time with ThingsLog. The result: 15% lower water consumption and bills within a single year — one of the largest retail water monitoring projects in the country.
The challenge: invisible leaks
With that many sites, a burst pipe can leak for weeks before anyone notices. “Very often a failure goes unnoticed and we only learn about it when an invoice for thousands of euros arrives,” says Vladislav Tsvetanov, Energy Manager at BILLA Bulgaria. The chain already ran several energy monitoring systems — but none of them covered water as a resource.
The solution: retail water monitoring in real time
Starting in 2023, BILLA has been equipping its sites with ThingsLog intelligent water solution data loggers — around 70% of stores are covered today. The system monitors consumption around the clock and raises alarms on anomalies, including non-zero night flow — water running while the store is closed.
“When I come to work in the morning, I check for notifications. You don’t hunt for a problem across 173 stores — you narrow it down to 3. In most cases the problem is fixed within the day,” Tsvetanov explains.
An unexpected bonus: no more disputes with the water utility
When a local water utility insisted a meter was faulty and had to be replaced, the BILLA team simply showed the real-time data from ThingsLog — and the utility agreed the meter was working correctly. When both sides look at the same data, there is nothing left to argue about.
The results
- 15% reduction in water consumption and bills within one year
- Leaks detected in hours, not via an invoice a month later
- Predictable maintenance for a small facility team — effort goes only where there is a real problem
- A measurable contribution to the company’s ESG targets
- The total amount of saved water per year equals the consumption of a small city
Part of the bigger picture
BILLA Bulgaria is part of REWE Group — one of Europe’s leading retail and tourism groups, with over 360,000 employees and 15,700 stores across 22 countries. The project fits the chain’s broader sustainability program: 30% of BILLA Bulgaria’s electricity comes from renewables and over 60 sites have photovoltaic installations, some with energy storage. Water monitoring is deployed with priority in regions with known water supply problems.
“With a solution like ThingsLog’s you save resources, nerves and labor — and you help the planet, too.” — Vladislav Tsvetanov, Energy Manager, BILLA Bulgaria
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ThingsLog – Technology and Sustainability
