If the energy transition is to succeed, a variety of large and small-scale measures need to be implemented simultaneously. We are making a significant contribution by delivering services that provide transparency on the energy consumption of properties.
However, there are also other areas where transparency plays an important role. For example, SDK, a state-owned centre of excellence for waste management, has developed and introduced the smart bin lock in collaboration with ista Luxembourg. This allows the amount of waste produced in residential properties to be accurately recorded and billed for the first time, which is key to conserving resources.
With EcoTrend, ista provides a digital tool that informs residents monthly about their personal consumption of heating and hot water. The solution meets the requirements of the EU Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) and so supports the achievement of European climate targets.
EcoTrend offers consumption comparisons with the previous month, the previous year and average households. This creates an important database – the prerequisite for more eco-aware consumption behaviour and for unlocking savings potential. This is how we give buildings a future.
In 2024, we made some improvements to the registration process with the aim of reducing printing costs and postage in the long term. At the same time, we made it easier for users to set up passwords. We also created the technical conditions for international upscaling and rollout of the service in Luxembourg and Switzerland.
We have taken a large number of steps to ensure the necessary data security, such as two-step authentication to protect online user accounts from unauthorised access. Since its launch in 2022, EcoTrend has already been activated for around 2.4 million users.
In the 2024 reporting year, we further increased the proportion of radio-readable devices in our properties. The full-radio device rate was 58.3%, just under four percentage points above the December 2023 figure (54.6%). This is a real bonus for residents as it means there's no need for on-site visits to read our devices. It's also good for the environment: fewer car journeys mean lower CO₂ emissions.
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Since 2022, all new buildings in Luxembourg with ten or more apartments must record their non-recyclable waste separately. To make this happen, SDK, a state-owned centre of excellence for waste management, teamed up with ista Luxembourg to develop and introduce the smart bin lock. Our team in the Grand Duchy has been exclusively responsible for sales since 1 January 2025.
The lock is fitted to standard bins for non-recyclable waste in apartment buildings. It can only be opened using a transponder linked to a specific apartment. Every opening of the lock is recorded so usage can be billed per apartment.
They can significantly reduce their waste costs – by up to 70%. Access to the dedicated ista SDK web portal also gives them complete transparency on costs and quantities.
Investors obtain the metering and waste management plan from ista from a single source, thereby meeting the legal requirements for a building permit in Luxembourg, which stipulates both. The bin lock also helps to reduce the size of the rubbish bin space, as fewer bins are needed – freeing up room for two to three additional parking spaces, which can then be rented out or sold.
Above all, however, it is the environment that benefits. Initial studies have shown that waste volumes in apartment buildings can be halved.
"Until now, all residents of an apartment building in Luxembourg have paid the same price for their non-recyclable waste. The introduction of the bin lock means they now only pay for disposal of the volume of waste they actually produce. It is also important to install a sorting station so that each resident can separate their waste in a more targeted and systematic way."
Joachim Colles
ista Country Manager
We want to make daily life as easy as possible for our customers. That is why we have long since been offering them the option of viewing their heating bills on our digital web portal. This is not only convenient, but also saves valuable paper resources. In the 2024 reporting year, 84.4% of our customers were already using this digital service.