With a deadline set at 5th December 2015, we are due to enter the final 6 month countdown until compliance with the 1st phase for ESOS (Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme) must be demonstrated by qualifying organisations. ESOS is the UK Government’s response to an EU Directive that requires so-called Large Undertakings to undergo energy audits and identify energy savings opportunities within their operations. In case you were wondering what exactly a Large Undertaking is, it is defined as an organisation of more than 250 employees or an organisation with a turnover of €50 million and a balance sheet of more than €47 million. In contrast to prevailing thought, this criteria means that you don’t always have to be a for-profit business to fall within scope – trust funds, major charities and universities receiving over 50% of their funding from private sources are examples of Large Undertakings that will have to comply with the scheme.
Typically, an organisation has to demonstrate their compliance with ESOS by contracting a qualified Lead Assessor to oversee their energy audits and identify energy savings opportunities. At last count, there were only 300 registered Lead Assessors and an estimated 7,500 Undertakings falling within scope of ESOS. This is very likely an underestimate of the actual number of Undertakings that will have to comply – owing to the fact that all organisations under the umbrella of a UK parent group will fall under ESOS if only one of its fellow organisations met the ESOS qualifying criteria.
As a registered Lead Assessor, CO2balance are expecting busy times in the coming 6 months and are fully prepared for the last mad dash to meet the deadline – if you unsure whether your organisation is within scope of ESOS, feel free to drop us a line and we will be happy to provide you with some advice.