Large companies to be forced to implement energy efficiency
Energy & Environment Management, July 11, 2013Proposals for an Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) have been published by the government that will make it compulsory for large companies to undertake energy audits.
The aim is to enable companies to identify opportunities for saving on their energy bills through improved energy efficiency. The Department for Energy and Climate Change (Decc) estimates that up to £1.9bn could be saved.
The proposals form part of the government’s implementation of the EU Energy Efficiency Directive, under which large enterprises have to identify cost-effective ways to invest in energy efficiency. These ESOS assessments will be carried out by approved assessors.
The proposed scheme would apply to all large enterprises in the UK, including charities and any other UK organisations outside the public sector, if sufficiently large. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) will not be required to participate, unless they are part of a large corporate group enterprise, but could do so on a voluntary basis.