Current ESOS News: What You Need to Know

The Energy Saving Opportunity Scheme, initiated by the UK government, is designed to incentivise large UK businesses to adopt energy-saving practices. The ultimate goal is to assist the government in reducing the country’s carbon footprint and working towards achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

At present, the UK is at the third phase of the ESOS scheme. Organizations falling under the scheme’s purview must ensure their compliance by submitting their reports by 5th June 2024.

In recent months, there have been significant amendments to the scheme that could affect how businesses approach their submissions and the necessary requirements to ensure compliance.

In this feature, Sam Arje, TEAM Energy’s Lead ESOS Assessor and Senior Energy Consultant, delves into five crucial updates currently unfolding within the realm of ESOS.

The Environment Agency announced a slight relaxation by indicating that they will not take punitive action if organizations fail to submit their notification of compliance by the June 5th deadline. Nevertheless, adherence to ESOS necessitates registering the account with the new IT system by 5th June 2024 and furnishing the notification of compliance by 6th August 2024. This extended timeframe provides businesses with a more feasible window to align with ESOS Phase 3.

Following their ESOS submission, organizations must compile and submit an annual ESOS Energy Action Plan. This document will detail the progress made in implementing energy-saving initiatives and commitments. The Energy Action Plan will undergo public scrutiny as it gets recorded by the Environment Agency and disclosed publicly. Failure to make energy-saving changes or complete the Action Plan could expose businesses to reputational repercussions, competitive vulnerabilities, and penalties for non-compliance with ESOS.

Entities possessing ISO 50001 certification will also encounter changes. Previously, ISO 50001 certified organizations were exempt from ESOS reporting duties. However, the revamped scheme now mandates these entities to furnish detailed reports encompassing data on energy savings achieved since the previous compliance period.

Despite the deadline extension for ESOS Phase 3, Phase 4 remains slated for 5th December 2027, with the four-year compliance span spanning 6th December 2023 to 5th December 2027. Phase 4 promises further changes, putting a spotlight on energy efficiency within organizations and demanding meticulous plans on transitioning towards net zero emissions.

Uncover the impact of these alterations on your organization’s ESOS compliance journey.

If your organization falls under the ESOS compliance domain, rely on TEAM’s experienced ESOS Lead Assessors who possess a deep understanding of ESOS compliance legislation and the requisites for organizations.

For more insights, visit www.teamenergy.com

This article was featured in the May 2024 edition of Energy Manager magazine. Subscribe now to stay informed.