If the mandatory Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) applies to your business, and your organisation isn’t already fully covered by ISO 50001, you need to carry out an ESOS assessment. The ESOS assessment will help you to understand what your organisation needs to do to comply with the ESOS regulations.

So here are the 5 considerations that you need to keep in mind when completing your assessment:

1. Calculate your total energy consumption

Please note that under ESOS energy is defined to include all forms of energy products including: combustible fuels, heat, renewable energy and electricity. There are no fuel type exemptions in ESOS.

This is the total energy used by assets held or activities that are carried out by your organisation or group. This includes the total energy consumed by your buildings – across multiple sites if this is applicable – any industrial processes that your organisation partakes in, and all transport by your employees where your organisation is supplied with the fuel for business purposes.

2. Identify your areas of significant energy consumption

After you have calculated your total energy consumption, you then need to identify the assets and activities that amount to at least 90% of your total energy consumption. These are the areas that you will audit, or must ensure are covered by an alternative route to compliance (meaning that you can exclude 10% of total consumption from any compliance measures).

3. Appoint a lead assessor

You need to ensure you have appointed a lead assessor to carry out / oversee/ review your energy audits and overall ESOS assessment.

A lead assessor can be an employee of a third party, as long as they are members of the approved professional body and are on the ESOS Register which is maintained by the Environment Agency.

It is your responsibility as an organisation to choose the right assessor for your business and industry.

4. Notify the Environment Agency

Once you have undertaken your ESOS assessment and are compliant with the obligations set by the Environment Agency, you need to ensure you submit your Notification of Compliance, before the deadline. This includes details about your organisation and how it has complied, it doesn’t need to provide any energy data.

The current ESOS notification deadline is 5 December 2015.

5. Keep records

It is important that you keep all records that evidence your compliance of ESOS including:

• Details of any directors who reviewed the ESOS findings
• Confirmation from the lead assessor that they reviewed the ESOS assessment
• The calculation of total energy consumption
• A list of areas of significant energy consumption
• Details of savings opportunities identified

For more information about what you must keep in your ESOS evidence pack, this government document has the full list.

What to do post ESOS assessment

Now you’ve completed your ESOS assessment, and submitted your ESOS notification, you will be provided with a list of energy recommendations ready to be implemented.

If you’re looking for some assistance with the implementation of your energy recommendations, Why look any further? Bowler can manage the full implementation of all technologies recommended in your ESOS report, with an integrated and bespoke solution.

For more information, please get in touch today.