ESOS is the Government’s new Energy Saving Opportunity Scheme. The latest scheme guidance was issued on 15th July, which and answers some of the questions people have been asking regarding how the scheme will operate.
General notes on the scheme:
- The scheme will be administered via the Environment Agency.
- They will be setting up an online registration system. This should be rolled out at the end of 2014.
- The official qualification period will end on 31st December 2014, at which point you will be notified by the EA if you qualify as a participant. If you employ more than 250 people, have a turnover greater than £50m and a balance sheet greater than £43m you will qualify.
- You can be exempt from qualification if you have ISO 150001 accreditation.
- You will be required to lodge your assessment with the EA before 5th December 2015. A new assessment will be required every 4 years.
- You should appoint a lead assessor, who must be a member of an approved professional body.
- The EA will open an application and approval process for potential assessors in the second half of 2014.
- Non-compliance with the scheme could result in civil penalties, including fines (scale of these does not appear to be determined).
- Lists of participants will be published by the EA, but assessments and reports will not.
The assessment procedure requires:
- Assessment of a 12month period of your total energy consumption within your UK operation including business transportation within the UK and any international travel to/from your UK operations.
- You must identify significant sources of energy consumption, construct energy profiles and identify areas of inefficiency, either operational or facilities driven.
- Recommendations for improvement must be included within the reporting, to include capital costs, benefits, payback periods and life-cycle costings.
- There will be no legal requirement to implement any of the recommendations identified.
