Avara cut water consumption by 20%

Starting point: a fairer way to bill for water

Several factors drove Avara to adopt consumption-based water billing. Developments in legislation accelerated the change, but above all it was driven by feedback from residents.

According to Rantsi, many residents felt that the traditional flat water-fee model did not always match actual consumption.

Residents wanted water to be billed genuinely according to how much they actually use.

For Avara it was important to find a solution that would be both fair and transparent.

At the same time, consumption-based billing would allow water costs to be allocated as precisely as possible to those who use the water.

The solution: apartment-level metering and real-time consumption tracking

Before making a decision, Avara surveyed several options.

According to Rantsi, the most important criteria in choosing a solution were the reliability of the measurement data, the transparency of the system, and the ability to make consumption information easily visible to residents.

ClimaPri’s system integrated directly into Avara’s OmaAvara service, where residents can follow their own water consumption in real time.

It was very important to us that we get the consumption data easily and transparently visible to residents as well.

The visibility of consumption data gave residents the chance to monitor their own water use and to influence their future costs in a concrete way.

From a pilot to 60 properties

The rollout began with four pilot properties.

Avara first wanted to make sure the solution worked in practice, both technically and from the residents’ perspective. After the pilot phase, the feedback was very positive.

According to Rantsi, the fairness of the system and the transparency of consumption were especially praised.

On the back of the positive experiences, it was decided to expand the rollout quickly. When Avara announced the upcoming expansions, some residents even began asking when the system would be introduced in their own building.

Today the solution is in use in about 60 properties, and the expansion continues.

Results: water consumption fell by about 20%

One of the most significant findings was a clear drop in water consumption.

Although the effects were expected, their magnitude surprised even Avara.

After the rollout, water consumption fell by about 20 percent. In addition, 83 percent of residents said they pay more attention to their own water use.

According to Rantsi, the effects were visible quickly, already after the first bills.

Already after the first water bill, a significant drop in water consumption started to show very quickly.

The benefits reach beyond water consumption

The effects of consumption-based water billing are not limited to saving water alone.

According to Rantsi, the decrease in water consumption is also directly reflected in energy consumption, since less energy is needed to heat domestic hot water.

If we can reduce water consumption by 20 percent, the energy needed to heat domestic hot water also drops significantly at the same time.

This shows up both as lower energy costs and as a smaller carbon footprint. For Avara, it is a question not only of cost-efficiency but also of more responsible property management.

The next step: toward even smarter water use

Avara’s goal is to expand consumption-based water billing to all suitable properties over the coming years.

Rantsi also sees new opportunities to make even more effective use of the data collected.

The next step is to consider whether water heating can be optimized and the consumption data used even better.

In the future, the data could be used, for example, to time domestic hot-water heating more energy-efficiently, which could bring further savings for both property owners and residents.

A fairer and more responsible way to manage water consumption

Avara’s experience shows that consumption-based water billing is much more than just a billing model.

It increases transparency, encourages more responsible water use, and produces concrete savings for residents and property owners alike.

We can end the debate about “I’m paying for my neighbour’s water.” Everyone pays for the water they use themselves.

Avara’s experience shows that when consumption is made visible, a lasting incentive emerges to use water more responsibly — benefiting residents, property owners, and the environment alike.