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Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS)

Going beyond compliance with the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS)

The Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) is a mandatory energy assessment for large UK organisations, which requires them to undertake energy audits and report this back to the Environment Agency. The ultimate aim of ESOS is to support companies in finding new way to save and reduce their energy usage. 

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Legislation

Environment Agency provide updated guidance to comply with ESOS!

On 29th November, following a lengthy legislative process, the Environment Agency have provided updated guidance on the new requirements to comply with the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) going forward.

Are you obligated for ESOS? 

Obligated organisations must comply in phases and we are now in phase 3 of the scheme. Each phase has a qualification date (on which a company must assess whether they are obligated) and a compliance deadline (by which date an organisation must be compliant).

A UK organisation is obligated to comply with ESOS phase 3 if on the qualification date it either:

  • Employs 250 or more people, or
  • Has an annual turnover in excess of £44m and an annual balance sheet total in excess of £38m, or
  • Is an overseas company with a UK registered establishment which has 250 or more UK employees (paying income tax in the UK)

Organisations obligated on the qualification date (31 December 2022), must comply with phase 3 of the scheme by 5 June 2024. This is an extension deadline due to recent changes made to the phase 3 requirements (initial deadline 5 December 2023).

Increasingly, businesses who don’t meet the above thresholds are conducting ESOS assessments voluntarily to support their carbon reduction commitments, going above and beyond to mitigate climate change. Following the ESOS scheme presents a real opportunity for businesses to improve energy and fuel efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and subsequently, reap financial benefits.

How can Beyondly help?

There are two main routes to compliance with ESOS; most organisations comply either through the development and maintenance of a certified ISO 50001 energy management system, or through the energy audit route. Beyondly provide full compliance management for both routes and have delivered ESOS consultancy projects achieving 100% compliance from phase 1 of the scheme.

Steps to compliance with Beyondly

  1. Determine if you are obligated
  2. Appoint the right lead assessor for your business
  3. Obtain accurate energy data
  4. Notification of compliance
  5. Action Plan

Complete our form below to speak to our friendly team for further advice and a no-obligation ESOS compliance proposal!

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ESOS Action Plans

ESOS Action plans are a new requirement for all ESOS obligated companies following on from the Phase 3 compliance deadline of 5th June 2024. The deadline for the first ESOS action plan is 5 December 2024.

Beyondly can help your organisation create your action plan following notification of ESOS compliance by:

- Utilising information provided in ESOS reports, collate all recommendations given organised by short, medium and long term implementation actions.

- Identify which actions are appropriate to incorporate into the action plan, and appropriate timescales for completion.

- Calculations of kWh savings broken down for each action by type (buildings, transport, industrial processes).

- Calculation of the total kWh savings over the period covered (Dec 2023-Dec 2027)

- Provision of a spreadsheet inclusive of calculations, graphs, and timelines for action implementation

Speak to our experts!
Sean Coleman
Sustainability Consultant – Carbon Accounting and Energy Efficiency
Ben Lovell
Sustainability Coordinator
Kristi Bergman
Sustainability Coordinator
We have worked with Beyondly for multiple ESOS phases; always finding their energy audits and support with the process insightful and informative, giving us ideas to complement our own energy saving initiatives. Since forming the partnership, we have greatly increased our understanding of organisational energy use and reduced our consumption and costs.
Ian Birch

Engineering & Facilities Manager

Speak to our team and recieve a proposal!