Elmhurst Energy has published its final response to the Strengthening the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) Consultation on Options, which outlines proposals to:

• increase the number of ESOS participants that take action to reduce energy use, by raising the quality of their ESOS audit.
• increase the carbon and cost savings from ESOS by increasing the number and scope of ESOS recommendations taken up by participants.
• ensure that the ESOS recommendations are consistent with the UK’s net zero commitments.

You can read Elmhurst’s consultation response here.

Elmhurst provided an overview of the consultation to industry professionals, back in early July. Most of the changes proposed to the ESOS Regulations are being considered for Phase 3, subject to the outcome of this consultation. This could result in the need for participants to make changes to reporting from their Phase 3 ESOS report onwards.

Having reviewed the views of our members we have formulated a comprehensive response which includes the following key messages:

1. Support for an improved quality assurance process in the form of “lodgements” of summary reports and audits by the professional bodies.
2. Improving data provided to ESOS Lead Assessors by utilising the proposals in the “Maximising Non-Domestic Smart Meter Consumer Benefits” consultation, which Elmhurst have also provided a response to.
3. Building performance measurement which follows the concept outlined by Elmhurst’s “Golden Triangle” of assessments.
4. Modernisation of the Display Energy Certificate (DEC) as a tool for energy benchmarking within ESOS.
5. Recommending the merger of ESOS and Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR), and allow organisations to use their financial year as the required dates for compliance.
6. Stagger ESOS requirements to reduce peak work load at the end of the phase.
7. Use a carrot and stick approach to recommendations. The use of energy and carbon reduction targets as a “stick” and the use of tax breaks, grants and funding as “carrots” to encourage implementation of recommendations.

Elmhurst’s Non-Domestic Team Leader, Josh Wakeling comments “We are pleased to see the proposals to encourage more responsibility being given to the professional bodies in regards to quality assurance. We are keen to play our part in the scheme with our vast experience with the Energy Perfromance Certificate (EPC), DEC and Air Conditioning assessment industry. We are very interested to see the push towards net zero and the similarities between ESOS and SECR. The merger of both schemes and the use of staggered compliance dates would reduce the peak work load many of our members”

Link to consultation: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/strengthening-the-energy-savings-opportunity-scheme-esos

Link to Elmhurst’s Response: https://www.elmhurstenergy.co.uk/uploads/ESOS_Consultation_Response_Sept21.pdf