Energy audit deadline fast approaching

11th September 2015

The Freight Transport Association is warning companies that the deadline to complete Government energy audits is less than three months away.

By 5 December 2015, firms with more than 250 employees or with a turnover exceeding €50 million and balance sheet in excess of €43 million must have conducted energy audits and notified the Environment Agency under the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme.

The legislation was announced last summer and requires audits covering transport, buildings and industrial operations to be carried out every four years.  The first phase of the scheme however has given companies a much shorter time to comply.

“Companies should be taking immediate action now to comply if they have not done so already,” said Rachael Dillon, the FTA’s Climate Change Policy Manager.  “Failure to do so could lead to financial penalties, not to mention having the added pressure of finding an ESOS Lead Assessor to conduct the audit in the autumn when demand is expected to peak.”

Fuel represents on average 40% of a logistics company's operating costs for example, providing a huge incentive to reduce energy usage, whether a business is in scope of the ESOS or not, and many fleet operators are already implementing energy efficient actions across their business.

“There is no getting away from the fact that ESOS will cost businesses in terms of money and administration, but to get the most out of the process and make subsequent energy savings, we urge fleet operators to act now,” Rachael Dillon added

FTA's Logistics Carbon Reduction Scheme has been identified in the Environment Agency’s best practice guidance as a means for freight operators to compile data and take action to reduce energy usage.  For more details, visit www.fta.co.uk/esos