Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme
The Energy Saving Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) is the mandatory energy assessment scheme introduced by the UK government for organisations that meet the qualification criteria.
The Energy Saving Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) is the mandatory energy assessment scheme introduced by the UK government for organisations that meet the qualification criteria.
We can help you start your ESOS journey right away, whether you took part in Phase 1 and 2 or if you are new to the scheme and unsure of your energy compliance requirements. We can begin conducting audits now, to ensure the overall process runs as smoothly as possible. This will maximise the time we have to achieve the latest ESOS Phase 3 deadline.
ESOS applies to large UK organisations fulfilling one of the following criteria:
The qualification date for phase 3 of ESOS is 31st December 2022. This means that the 12-month reference period used for your ESOS audit must include this date. The deadline for notification of compliance is 5th December 2023. This should be made with the UK Environment Agency.
In order to become ESOS compliant, an audit will need to be conducted covering the energy consumption for your buildings, fleet and processes. A sample of your company’s buildings will require an onsite audit. Optional onsite audits for your company’s fleet and processes (manufacturing) can also be requested.
ESOS compliance can also be achieved if an organisation has achieved ISO50001 certification that covers 100% of the company’s sites. If, however, the ISO 50001 certification only covers part of the company’s sites, an ESOS audit will still be required for the remainder. The ISO50001 standard is a framework through which organisations can become more energy efficient using an energy management system. Any organisation that is covered by ISO50001 can simply advise the Environment Agency that they are ESOS compliant.
Alternatively, an organisation which has obtained a Display Energy Certificate (DEC) that covers 90% of its energy usage which was issued, with a report, within the compliance period, would not need to comply. However, it is important to state that a registered ESOS Lead Assessor is still required to review this compliance.
While the time required to achieve compliance can vary dramatically from organisation to organisation based on existing energy efficiency measures and business processes. The Government’s Department for Business Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) found that companies took an average of 15 days to implement the necessary processes for compliance – although this time could be spread over several weeks or months as required.
If you are eligible for ESOS Phase 3, it is recommended that you book your audit now to guarantee that an ESOS Lead Assessor will be able to complete your audit before the compliance deadline.
Together with our compliance partner, Sustainable Footprints, Consultiv Utilities can make it easier and more efficient to achieve ESOS compliance. With the support of Sustainable Footprints, we have supported more than 150 businesses from a range of industries and sectors to comply with ESOS regulations.
Our highly skilled team features fully-qualified ESOS Lead Assessors and ISO 50001 Lead Auditors, as well as members of CIBSE, RPEC and the Energy Institute. With those skills,11 we have helped organisations across aviation, manufacturing, freight, retail, charity and more to identify over £25 million in savings. In total this has reduced consumption by more than 200 million kWh through ESOS phase 1 and 2.
We can help you realise potential savings and implement energy saving opportunities that improve efficiency and lower costs for the long term.
Ready to achieve compliance?