The fourth phase of ESOS is now upon us!

The qualification date for ESOS 4 is 31 December 2026 and the report of 12-months energy consumption must include this date. Participants must confirm compliance with the scheme by no later than. 05 December 2027.

The “Energy Saving Opportunity Scheme” legislation of 2014, ESOS for short, is a mandatory scheme requiring reporting of an organisation’s total energy consumption on a four-year cycle.

Energy consumed by buildings, transport and industrial processes must be considered.

The Regulations also demand the preparation of cost-effective, energy saving recommendations. There is no compulsion to implement these initiatives, but the Government is optimistic that organisations will see the financial benefit of their implementation.

ESOS applies to large undertakings defined as follows:
1. An undertaking which has 250 or more employees, or
2. An undertaking which has fewer than 250 employees but has an annual turnover exceeding £44m and a balance sheet exceeding £38m.
3. Part of a corporate group which includes an undertaking which meets criteria 1 or 2 above.

In England the Environment Agency is responsible for managing the Scheme.

It should be noted that:
1. Organisations in England, Wales and Northern Ireland that are required to comply with the Public Contracts Regulations 2006 are exempt from the scheme.
2. Where organisations are covered by an accredited Energy Management System to ISO50001 then there will be a partial or full exemption.
3. Failure to comply with the ESOS Regulations can lead to fines of £50,000.

Please follow the link for more information on ESOS:
https://www.gov.uk/energy-savings-opportunity-scheme-esos#about-esos

Critical to compliance with ESOS is the appointment of an accredited Lead Assessor qualified to undertake ESOS Audits and prepare Evidence Packs.

As an experienced Energy Consultant, Michael Carr was one of the first Lead Assessors to be accredited by the Chartered Institution of Building Service Engineers – CIBSE. He has now guided many organisations through ESOS 1, 2 and 3.

Contact Michael for a chat on how to achieve ESOS compliance for your organisation.