In 2014, the government introduced the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS), a mandatory energy assessment scheme for specific UK organisations. Your business qualifies if, on 31 December 2014, it was one of the following:
1. An undertaking that has 250 or more employees
2. An undertaking with fewer than 250 employees but an annual turnover exceeding €50m and a balance sheet exceeding €43m
3. Part of a corporate group that includes an undertaking that meets criteria (1) or (2) above
ESOS is a response to the requirement that all EU Member States implement Article 8 of the Energy Efficiency Directive. Failure to comply could generate civil sanctions including financial penalties.
The ESOS Assessment requires participants to do the following:
• Measure total energy use
• Conduct energy audits to identify cost-effective energy efficiency recommendations
• Report compliance to the Environment Agency
The scheme will lead to £1.6 billion in benefits, the majority going back to businesses in the form of energy savings. For more information on this mandatory scheme, visit www.gov.uk/energy-savings-opportunity-scheme-esos.
