10,000 large organisations in the UK have just one month to measure energy consumption and carry out energy audits as part of the Energy Saving Opportunity Scheme (ESOS). The deadline for Phase 2 of ESOS is December 5th and businesses are advised to act now to ensure compliance.

The EU-wide legislation is a mandatory energy assessment scheme for organisations in the UK with more than 250 employees or a turnover above €50m. An estimated 10,000 businesses must submit their completed audits to the Environment Agency. Failure to comply with the December 5th deadline could result in a penalty of up to £50,000.

ESOS requires businesses to audit their energy use every four years and identify cost-effective measures that reduce energy use and emissions and improve efficiency. Compliant audits must be based on 12 months of data, analyse energy consumption and efficiency, and identify energy saving opportunities. It covers buildings, industrial processes and transport, and acting now can bring early cost savings.

The results of transport audits completed by Cenex during Phase 1, involving over 10,000 vehicles in 2015, identified potential fuel cost savings of between £10,000 – £1,000,000 for organisations, depending on the implementation of measures and strategies recommended, translating to reduced emissions and cleaner transport.

Rob Anderson, senior fleet specialist at Cenex, said: “Assessing the energy consumption from your fleet operation can be a challenge, but complying with ESOS has the potential to deliver significant benefits in terms of reduced fuel consumption, greater efficiency and lower costs. With one month remaining before the compliance deadline, eligible businesses need to work quickly to ensure relevant assessments and audits are carried out effectively.”