Update: Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme Regulations 2014 – UK

ATTENTION!

1. Does your organisation employ more than 250 people (directly in the UK or abroad)?
2. Does your organisation have an annual turnover of more than €50 million per year and/or an annual balance sheet in excess of €43 million?

If you have answered ‘No’ to the above questions, this legislation is voluntary for your organisation.

However, if you have answered ‘Yes’ to any of the above questions, you must complete an ESOS assessment and notify the Environmental Agency by the 5^th December 2015, and repeat this every four years thereafter. Alternatively, you can have a certified ISO 50001 Energy Management System in place, which requires you to conduct regular audits to maintain certification.

These are the rules established in the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme Regulations 2014 (ESOS) (SI 2014 No. 1643), which transpose Article 8 of the Energy Efficiency Directive (2012/27/EU).

If your organisation meets the qualification criteria outlined above, but is not fully covered by ISO 50001, you will need to conduct an ESOS assessment to comply with the Regulations.  The assessment will help you work out what your organisation needs to do to comply with the ESOS Regulations. It will take into account energy partly covered by ISO 50001, Display Energy Certificates (DECs) or Green Deal assessments (GDAs).

Assessments must include energy used by your buildings, industrial processes and transport to identify cost-effective energy saving measures.  The audits must account for at least 90% of your organisation’s total energy consumption.

ESOS energy audits are to be conducted with reference to the recently published ISO 50002:2014 or EN 16247 1-4.  Lead assessors conducting the assessments must be members of an approved professional body register.

For your audits, your organisation will need to:

1. Calculate its total consumption
2. Identify its areas of significant energy consumption
3. Appoint a lead assessor
4. Notify the Environmental Agency
5. Keep records

In order to comply with the Regulations, the audits must:

1. Be based on 12 month’s verifiable data
2. Analyse the participants energy consumption and energy efficiency
3. Identify energy savings opportunities
4. Include site visits

The organisation should be aware that if it does not meet the scheme’s obligations, for instance by failing to do the required audits or notify compliance, the regulator can issue civil sanctions including financial penalties.  Public bodies are not included within the scope of ESOS.

We at Antaris Consulting, can help you to remain compliant with this legislation in one of three ways:

1. Implementing ISO 50001 Energy Management System across your organisation
2. Providing detailed energy audits to identify your areas of usage and opportunities for improvement, and assist you in reporting to the regulator
3. Providing you with the comprehensive lead auditor training necessary for you to conduct your own energy audits, available here.

For further information relating to the services we offer, please contact us at info@antarisconsulting.com

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