Bender UK has launched Bender Pulse – a cloud-connected condition monitoring solution designed to give 24/7 visibility of critical medical power systems, energy use, and electrical fault development, across healthcare environments.
The specialist in ‘smart, safer, and more sustainable energy solutions’, says Pulse ‘addresses the critical gaps in traditional electrical monitoring that can leave developing faults undetected for weeks, until they cause emergency callouts and operational disruption’.
The company said: “With the Building Engineering Services Association calculating that £400 million could be saved annually through smarter energy management, healthcare estates face mounting pressure to move beyond reactive maintenance approaches.” It added: Healthcare estates currently manage £12.4 billion in annual energy costs while facing stricter compliance requirements. SECR and ERIC reporting, meanwhile, demand evidence-based data, not box-ticking exercises, while Green Plans require Board approval and measurable progress toward Net Zero targets.”
Bender UK explains that by combining residual current monitoring, insulation fault pre-warning and mitigation, power quality analysis, and energy measurement through the Powerscout cloud interface, Pulse aggregates data flows for secure dashboards that are easily accessible to Estates teams, ‘providing early warnings before faults become failures, or automated reports capturing any degradation’.
It added: “Recent trials have validated the platform’s real-world performance. At a major hospital, it identified total harmonic distortion (THD) levels exceeding 5%. In a separate incident, the system captured voltage unbalance peaking at 80% - an event caused by poor power quality from the DNO. While Pulse could not have prevented this external event, the hospital was better informed to build resilience into its infrastructure and challenge the DNO.
“Another healthcare facility eliminated the need for manual disconnection of essential loads during BS7671 compliance testing. The system can continue providing residual current monitoring across all distribution board circuits, maintaining vital operational continuity while meeting all inspection and maintenance requirements.”
Bender says the remote diagnostic capabilities within Pulse also prevented unnecessary site visits via remote engineering support. The system detected specific feeders with insulation faults without any manual inspection. Automated report generation then supports engineers with all required compliance documentation at pre-agreed intervals.
Gareth Brunton, MD at Bender UK, said: “The UK and Irish healthcare estates are under enormous pressure to find that projected £400 million in savings while maintaining day-to-day patient safety and service continuity. The cost of reactive maintenance is becoming unsustainable. Healthcare estates face rising energy costs, tighter compliance requirements, and infrastructure that cannot afford to fail. Pulse converts existing data points into actionable intelligence, supporting immediate maintenance needs and long-term objectives."
Mumtaz Farooqi, the company’s Technical director (pictured) – who led the Pulse project, added: "Engineers know their systems better than anyone, but they cannot be omnipresent. Pulse provides a watchful eye on critical infrastructure around the clock, with alerts that help teams plan maintenance rather than worry about those 2 am call-outs. The system that continuously monitors and supports also enables BS7671 compliance without needing to power down operations."
