Reflecting on ESOS: The Next Steps

Going forward, what are the prospects for ESOS? EVORA highlights the next steps for the scheme.

A Coordinated compliance and improvement approach?

EVORA recommend that clients should consider the establishment of a collective approach to address all regulatory risks and opportunities. It makes sense for example, for real estate businesses to develop a strategy addressing both ESOS and the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES).

ESOS: a burden or an opportunity for businesses?

On the whole, we believe that businesses have found the compliance process more challenging than regulators anticipated. ESOS is new and businesses will certainly feel that they had a short period of time in which to prepare. Nevertheless, EVORA is already seeing evidence that assessment results are being incorporated into energy action plans. Overtime, ESOS has the ability to deliver the energy savings the UK industry needs. However, ESOS needs to form part of a structured and stable energy policy framework.

ESOS and ISO 50001

In the latest round of ESOS, only 0.9% of businesses chose ISO 50001 as a route to compliance. EVORA believes that, over time, an energy management system approach will help deliver the best results. However, the ISO 50001 approach is also the most time and resource intensive. Nevertheless we believe that, ISO 50001 will grow in popularity over time. The low level of initial uptake will have been restricted by the long time it takes to gain certification and the lack of available certification assessors.

For more information, Paul Sutcliffe will be speaking at the UK Green Building Council (UK-GBC) ESOS Showcase Event in London on the 15^th of March. The link to the event can be found on the website: http://www.ukgbc.org/event/esos-showcase

Stay in tune for further updates on the energy efficiency taxation review budget to be announced soon!