ESOS just box-ticking exercise? – Ellie Johnson
ESOS does not require organisations to actually implement any energy-saving measures, but it nevertheless has the potential to encourage major energy savings in companies across the UK. The key issue is the quality of the assessments completed for compliance – will they really secure senior management buy-in, or just tick the boxes for compliance? It’s the Energy Managers that will need to make the case for investing in quality assessments if ESOS is to be a success.
With the first compliance deadline for ESOS around the corner, many organisations are scrambling to comply. But as engagement with ESOS increases, some are expressing concerns over whether the legislation will really achieve its desired impact, both in terms of lowering energy bills for companies and in contributing towards the UK’s emissions reduction targets.
According to ESOS, all large companies in the UK must complete an energy audit to identify opportunities for saving energy within their organisations or face hefty fines. But with no requirement for implementing recommendations from audit reports, some fear that while ESOS may be a step in the right direction, it does not go far enough to force implementation of cost-saving opportunities.
What many fail to recognise, however, is that what seems an obvious flaw in the legislation may in fact be its greatest strength. By forcing companies only to audit, rather than implement the recommendations, the success of the legislation in promoting energy efficiency relies primarily on the appeal of the ‘carrot’ of the opportunities presented, rather than the ‘stick’ of enforcing change through the threat of fines – which, in behavioural psychology, has often been proven as a more effective method of encouraging change.
However, in order for the ‘carrot’ approach to be effective, the audit report and opportunities presented will need to be written, structured and quantified in a way that clearly demonstrates the value of energy management to company decision-makers. This relies on Lead Assessors having sufficient knowledge and skills to be able to make an effective case for energy saving projects to senior management.
This is the real issue with ESOS, because unfortunately not all audits are created equal.
To read the full article see the latest October edition of EiBI.
