The Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) gives businesses, who fall under the criteria, the responsibility to examine their own energy usage and submit an audit of their findings every four years. It’s mandatory for organisations who qualify so failure to comply could land them with more than a big fine, it can fundamentally undermine their reputation.
Elio Dias, our Head of Energy and Carbon, explains what we’re doing to help clients go beyond ESOS-compliance.
When clients talk to us about preparing for government schemes like ESOS, the mood is surprisingly optimistic. Most have moved beyond seeing these things as burdens or obligations; they’ve had their own environmental strategies for a while. ESOS is simply giving them a framework and an incentive to realise those strategies faster.
The real challenge is physically implementing that new mentality. This is where we can help. We can assist you in forming a long-term holistic approach to ESOS compliance that serves as a vehicle for your wider sustainability ambitions.
We’re confident this holistic viewpoint is the right one, and it’s already working in practice for dozens of major organisations.
The Carbon Architecture approach to ESOS compliance
Currently some businesses are simply undertaking an ESOS audit and producing an action plan. This is important, but it’s really only the start of the process. The next part is to actually implement and measure these action plans. That’s the critical difference and where we believe the real benefit lies for organisations.
As part of the ESOS process, you need to appoint an ESOS lead assessor to sign off assessments. And we can provide that. In fact, our expertise is helping over 50 companies already, saving them time and resources.
For example, by engaging a specialist lead assessor from an established provider, you’re getting a consistent service that’s standardised around best practice. We gather energy usage data at scale, and conduct site visits to make sure the data corresponds with day-to-day operations.
Using InMetriks to build and maintain positive momentum
Implementing your ESOS action plan effectively means decreasing energy consumption and costs, without unduly significant investment. We help identify the best use of budget; it’s often energy management systems that represent the strongest ROI.
InMetriks is the natural example to use here; it’s purpose-built for spotting and actioning these kinds of cost-saving opportunities. In an ESOS context, it aligns with the philosophy of ongoing improvement: Accurate benchmarking enables more meaningful analysis, which informs a clearer strategy that’s captured by better reporting. The reporting sets a new benchmark and the cycle repeats.
Developing your own system in house, one that can do all that and stay updated as ESOS evolves, is expensive. We’ve packaged an ESOS compliance service that represents drastically better ROI. Keeping the consulting, lead assessment, and digital tools all under our roof keeps your internal resource costs low.
With assessment, analysis, and reporting handled, all that remains is implementation. That looks different for every organisation, but it’s another area where we believe we’re offering a more complete service. It’s all down to the power of the network.
Going beyond ESOS compliance with Bellrock
Being part of the wider Bellrock Group gives us (and you) access to the full spectrum of facilities expertise. Whatever your organisation’s path to net zero looks like, we can project manage your way there.
Bellrock’s consulting capabilities let you understand exactly what’s in your buildings. Various assets, equipment, and even the fabric of a building itself can affect sustainability differently. Everything you need to know to satisfy ESOS can be found under the Bellrock umbrella.
As ESOS evolves, we share best practice with each other so you’re always getting the benefit of a complete understanding. Phase 4 is likely to focus on decarbonisation for example, not just cutting energy usage. We’re helping dozens of businesses anticipate and plan for these changes, creating strategies that look beyond the next phase cycle.
Remember, the goal is to take your organisation’s individual green aspirations and use ESOS as a framework for realising them. Compliance is only the beginning. Get a more complete perspective on ESOS, and sustainability for businesses in general. Our team are ready to help you plan a clearer, more prosperous route to net zero. Get in touch.
To find out more about ESOS, and what it means for your business, read our ESOS explainer resource.
