Research results: energy | heat consumption: measuring is knowing

Commissie Duurzaam
Feb 3
3 min read

Updated: Feb 9

Introduction

Power: solar panels and storage

Heat: hydronic balancing

Heat: Heat Recovery (WTW)

Heat consumption: measuring is knowing (this page)

Updates:

individual monitoring of heat consumption for owners in Kleiburg Phase 1 has already been activated - including consumption data of the past years;
2026-01-21: instructions for using the ista app were emailed by our board via our VvE manager JWA (see appendices 2 and 3 at the end of this article).

Why we do this?

Heating behavior changes strongly when people receive direct feedback. If someone sees their hot water usage rising during a shower, they tend to turn off the tap earlier. If a spike in heating usage appears, they may lower the thermostat. This is called behavioral feedback: making visible what normally remains invisible.

For most Kleiburg Phase 1 residents, the largest part of the energy bill comes from district heating. That is why insight into this consumption is more important than insight into electricity use.

A simple monitoring system from the company ista allows owners and residents of Kleiburg Phase 1 to see weekly how much heat and hot water they use. This way, saving is not a guess, but a habit. This system has been set up and arranged at VvE level.

The psychology behind energy behavior

Residents respond strongly to direct feedback. Anyone who notices an increase in hot water consumption while showering turns off the tap sooner. Anyone who sees a spike in heating consumption lowers the thermostat. This is called behavioral feedback: making visible what normally remains invisible.

Research from Milieu Centraal shows that insight into consumption leads to average energy savings of 5 % to 15 % — without new installations or renovations. When you know what something costs, you naturally look for where you can save. Insight makes energy personal.

The current situation in Kleiburg phase 1

Residents in Kleiburg Phase 1 are connected to district heating. Each month we pay a fixed advance, and at the end of the year we receive a settlement that shows who overpaid or owes money.

That yearly moment is too late to influence behavior. Furthermore, consumption varies hugely between homes: some use about 5 GJ per year, others as much as 50 GJ. Such differences are almost always due to behavior — like how often heating is turned on, how long showers last, or how long hot taps are left running.

Residents currently have no intermediate insight. As a result, they miss the chance to adjust in time. And this is exactly where the most savings can be made: district heating makes up the largest part of the energy costs for all residents of Kleiburg. Those who gain control here can save the most.

The solution: monitoring

The company ista offers a simple and affordable service that lets Kleiburg residents track their heat and water consumption through a web portal and an app. The data is updated weekly.

Every resident can see:

their current individual consumption and consumption from previous years (up to three years);
a comparison with the average consumption in the building.

Via the app and the portal mijn.ista.nl, residents have 24/7 access to their consumption data. The portal shows:

monthly consumption in clear graphs;
comparison with previous years and with the building average;
insight into savings opportunities in case of abnormal consumption.

Privacy is fully arranged in accordance with GDPR: no one sees others’ data, only their own consumption compared to the building average. The system works best when all homes participate, because comparison is the strength of the system.

Residents are free to use or not use the app — it is a tool, not an obligation.

Costs

The cost is € 5.09 per home per year (price level 2024), which is about € 560 for the entire Phase 1, excluding VAT.

What it yields

For residents:

fewer surprises on the annual settlement;
more control over heating costs;
increased awareness and the ability to adjust behavior immediately.

For the VvE:

smaller differences in consumption and additional payments;
better predictability of total heating costs;
a transparent system that aligns with the sustainability goals of Kleiburg phase 1.

In short: insight is the cheapest form of sustainability.

Appendix 1 (brochure with general information)

Title: "Monitoring, Insight into consumption ensures energy savings!"

Appendices 2 and 3 (launch communication)

Creating your account (English version)

Please keep in mind when creating your account:

The meter reading is shown on the display;
However de serial number is from the module (small white box from ISTA) connected to the meter, not from the meter itself.

Launch comm (Dutch only)

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