Andrew Grover, chief executive of Advantage, is calling on the Environment Agency (EA) to clarify how it intends to enforce the scheme after he says his company took an ‘influx of calls from businesses receiving enforcement notices in the midst of the pandemic’.
ESOS is a mandatory energy assessment scheme that requires large UK enterprises to submit an energy audit every four years. The last deadline was in December 2019, and now many businesses face penalties for failing to comply.
Grover said: “We have concerns surrounding the financial burden this poses to businesses during a time of economic crisis.
“The uncertainty surrounding the penalties will create extra strain for businesses trying to survive a second lockdown.”
ESOS was introduced in December 2014 in response to the EU Energy Efficiency Directive. The scheme, split into four phases, is designed to allow companies to identify flexible and cost-effective opportunities to improve their energy efficiency.
Grover added: “There’s a lot to be gained from the ESOS scheme as it puts the UK in good stead for reaching its net zero targets and many companies actually stand to make long-term savings.
“However, a lot has changed since the deadline passed in December 2019. We are facing a very turbulent time here in the UK with many businesses operating with limited staff and cashflow. The last thing businesses need is more uncertainty and worry.
“We’ve seen large organisations with ample resources miss the deadline in Phase 1, it’s unsurprising that smaller businesses may be unclear or even unaware of the scheme in Phase 2.”