Scotland’s Eco Energy Group warns too many big companies in the dark over ESOS

Many UK businesses are unaware of a new European Union directive which comes into force at the end of the year that will oblige them to carry out an ‘energy audit’ to reduce their carbon footprint and significantly increase production and cost-efficiency across their operations. 

Companies with 250 or more employees, or an annual turnover in excess of €50 million, must become ESOS-compliant by the deadline of 5 December 2015.

To gain ESOS accreditation (Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme) companies need to measure their total energy consumption, conduct regular audits to identify cost-effective energy efficiency recommendations and report compliance to the scheme’s administrator, the Environment Agency.

Gordon Robertson, Managing Director, EcoEnergy Group, points out that companies are overlooking the major cost and energy savings that could be achieved on the back of a comprehensive energy audit.

“Many businesses consider the ESOS obligation as an additional administrative expense and an unnecessary disruption. However, they are going to have to incur the costs of meeting the EU requirements anyway so it is important they use this opportunity to implement sustainable and energy-efficient practises that will save them a substantial amount of money. 

“Meeting the requirements of the EU directive alone costs half of what a full energy audit would cost, so companies are immediately saving money from the outset.

“For example, one of our clients saved around 10% on their energy bill just by installing power voltage optimisers. Many of the measures can be compared to turning off a light in your home when you’re not using it but for industrial businesses. If you multiply this tenfold or more, the results can make a huge difference to reducing carbon emissions and balancing the books.”

See also: New EU rules require large UK companies to carry out energy-efficiency audits – http://goo.gl/yj5U82