How Noshing cut their power bill by 30 percent with a Shoestring Digital power monitoring kit
- EEA
- Apr 30
- 4 min read
A 30% reduction on the bill using a low-cost power monitoring kit. How good is that?
Noshing, a dairy free cheese manufacturer based in Malaga, Western Australia, slashed its power bill by 30 percent after installing a simple digital power monitoring kit. The key to the transformation was access to real-time data and the support of the Shoestring Digital program.
Noshing started as a home-based operation before progressing to a commercial kitchen and eventually settling into a fully equipped factory in Malaga. As the business expanded, so did its overheads. One of the most noticeable cost increases came from energy use.
After moving into the new factory, the team began to see higher power bills each month, with no visibility into how energy was being used across the site. The invoices provided no breakdowns, making it difficult to know where to start or what changes might have an impact.
“We were just getting one power bill at the end of each month, without any real breakdown of how that bill came to be.” — Jonathan, Co-Owner, Noshing
To address the issue, Noshing turned to the Shoestring Digital program on offer by Western Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), created by IfM Engage at The University of Cambridge.
Shoestring is designed to help local small-to-medium enterprises adopt low cost, low risk digital technology to improve operations, reduce expenses and drive innovation. The program offers a suite of plug-and-play monitoring kits that target common constraints faced by manufacturers and producers. These include tools for monitoring energy usage, air quality, equipment status, and production efficiency, all designed with simplicity and value in mind.
By enabling businesses to collect and act on data without the need for complex systems or large investments, Shoestring Digital empowers local SMEs to innovate and remain competitive. Element Engineering Australia is the official engineering partner for the program, providing kit assembly, procurement, and technical support to make the rollout process seamless.
The first step was installing a basic power monitoring kit from the Shoestring Digital range. The focus was on the site’s aging cool room, a legacy asset that came with the rented property and had not been reviewed since the team moved in.
The Shoestring kit was installed in a single day, and by the next morning, Noshing was already reviewing real-time data. The results showed that this one cool room was consuming a disproportionately large share of the factory’s energy.
Armed with the data, the team engaged refrigeration and electrical technicians to inspect the cool room. Several straightforward fixes were implemented, including changes to the controller settings and defrost cycles, and physical repairs such as replacing worn door seals.
Following the upgrades, Noshing’s energy usage dropped from 11 megawatt hours to 8 megawatt hours per billing cycle - a 30 percent reduction. This saving was reflected directly in their monthly power costs.
Encouraged by the result, the team used the same monitoring kit to assess other cool rooms and major equipment across the site. The additional insights helped them identify where further improvements could be made, prioritising upgrades based on which systems contributed the most to their energy spend.
This strategic approach was made possible by having data that revealed each asset’s power usage profile, something that would have been impossible to gauge with only a flat monthly bill.
Because Noshing leases its factory, the cool rooms were already in place when the team took over the site. They had not been involved in the original design or setup of the refrigeration systems, which had likely been configured for very different operations by the previous tenants.
That misalignment had gone unnoticed until the monitoring kit was installed. With clear usage data in hand, Noshing worked with their technician to adjust system settings to suit their specific production needs. These low-cost adjustments would not have been possible without a clear understanding of what was using power and when.
Without the visibility the kit provided, there would have been little urgency to investigate or optimise the systems.
The simplicity of the Shoestring Digital solution was a major benefit. With support from Element Engineering, the kit was operational within a day. The very next day, Noshing could see detailed records of energy use and start making decisions.
“We were able to get this system up and running within a day. The next day we could look back at the records of how much power had been consumed over the last 24 hours.”
The ease and speed of deployment meant the team could shift quickly from insight to action, without any disruption to production.
With energy use under control, Noshing is now preparing to implement a Shoestring Digital air quality monitoring solution. Their production environment is kept tightly sealed to reduce microbial load, which makes it essential to monitor indoor air conditions.
The new system will allow the team to track CO2 levels and ensure that airflow is safe and sufficient for both staff and product quality. It will also help them monitor the use of modified atmosphere packaging gases as they explore new shelf-life extension techniques.
Noshing’s experience is a strong example of how small businesses in Western Australia can use digital technology to make meaningful operational improvements. By working with Element Engineering and adopting solutions from the Shoestring Digital program, they have gained data-driven insights, reduced costs and positioned themselves for smarter growth.
Element Engineering Australia is proud to support local manufacturers like Noshing in building smarter, more sustainable operations using practical, affordable technology.
Contact us today to learn more about we can help you get started!
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