ESOS - Another European directive to save energy that doesn’t
The latest EU directive designed to reduce energy consumption is to force companies to complete an energy audit.
The 'Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme' (ESOS) is the Government's proposed approach to implementing Article 8 of the EU Energy Efficiency Directive which requires all Member States to introduce a programme of regular energy audits for ‘large’ private organisations.
The scheme will apply to companies with over 250 employees or if both their annual turnover exceeds €50 million and annual balance sheet total is more than €43 million. The scheme will not apply to the public sector.
Unfortunately the directive will not force companies to implement any of the recommendations made within the report. Implementing legislation that just forces companies to identify where energy can be saved does not in itself, save energy.
There are already thousands of energy audits gathering dust on the shelf where companies have shown scant regard to implementing any of the energy saving measures identified. Arguably this directive may have more impetus as, unlike surveys like those paid for by the Carbon Trust, these will not be ‘free’ and as organisations will be paying for the survey they will want a return on their investment.
My fear is that as it is a legislative requirement just to do a survey, not to implement energy saving measures, the legislation lends itself to energy consultants quoting a cheap cost to complete an audit that does little more than provide a ‘tick in the box’ that the organisation have complied with the directive.
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