How to Reduce Transport Refrigeration Unit Fuel Use in Depot Environments

The Plugging-In Opportunity

For many years, large format transport refrigeration units have offered standby modes where units can be run from electricity. This is highly beneficial for operators:

• Electricity is substantially cheaper than diesel
• Emissions are significantly reduced
• Noise pollution is eliminated

In areas where distribution centres are close to housing, local authorities sometimes mandate the use of transport refrigeration units in standby mode for noise and emissions reasons.

Why Many Fleets Are Failing to Benefit

Despite the clear advantages, many fleets are currently failing to benefit from "plugging-in" due to several common barriers:

• Site power constraints – adding electrical loads is often infeasible with existing grid connections
• Lack of driver engagement – without clear communication and monitoring, compliance rates remain low
• Unreliable infrastructure – faulty sockets and poor maintenance undermine plug-in programs
• Inability to secure capital investment or prove the business case – without data on usage and savings, ROI remains uncertain

The FPS TRU Fuel Saver Solution

FPS' TRU Fuel Saver technology was developed specifically to address these deployment barriers. It consists of two key components:

1. Smart plug hardware – replaces traditional 32 amp sockets with intelligent, remotely controlled units
2. Software platform – analyses electricity usage and manages power draws in real time across your site

This integrated approach delivers four critical improvements:

• Power constraints are no longer barriers – smart load management balances electricity demand across all plugs, avoiding grid capacity breaches
• Drivers are engaged – clear benefits communication and visible monitoring encourage consistent plug-in behaviour
• Infrastructure is more reliable – remote monitoring identifies and alerts on faulty equipment before it becomes a problem
• Business case is continuously validated – automated reporting tracks fuel savings and carbon emission reductions in real time

The technology, originally developed for Waitrose, has been recognised with several major industry awards.

Calculate Your Potential Savings

Proven Results: Waitrose Deployment

Leading UK supermarket Waitrose has deployed FPS TRU Manager and Fuel Saver technology across four distribution centres. Key results include:

• £40,000+ per month per site in fuel cost savings
• 100 tonnes per month of CO2e emissions eliminated
• 32 smart plugs creating half a megawatt of load shift potential
• Grid upgrade avoided through intelligent load balancing
• Continuous savings tracking supporting compliance reporting

"FPS's collaborative approach has delivered a solution that ensures electricity capacity isn't breached when we plug in transport refrigeration units in depots. Their Operate platform monitors site usage and remotely controls electricity to their retrofitted 'smart plug'. This load balancing really comes into its own in the summer months when the units require more energy and ensures we don't risk a breach."

Case Study

FPS TRU Fuel Saver Cuts Transport Refrigeration Emissions for Waitrose

To realise its TRU fuel and emission saving goals, Waitrose needed to overcome several challenges: * Building the business case for capital investment in plug infrastructure. *...

Read Full Case Study →

Next Steps

If you operate temperature-controlled transport and want to reduce fuel costs and emissions from depot operations:

1. Use our free calculators to estimate your potential savings
2. Book a consultation for a detailed site assessment and business case
3. Deploy a pilot at one site to validate the technology and approach
4. Scale across your estate based on proven ROI and operational benefits

FPS provides end-to-end support from initial assessment through design, installation, and ongoing optimisation of TRU plug-in programs.