ESOS: You've done it. Now what?

Congratulations, you’ve completed your Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) report!

Yes, it’s a job well done and a crucial step in understanding where your business can reduce energy consumption and enhance efficiency.

However, the journey doesn’t end here.

The real challenge lies in converting your report’s insights into actionable plans.

Decarbonisation is not just a short-term goal, but a long-term commitment. Businesses need to think about their ten-year timelines, and beyond.

Don’t worry – this blog will guide you through the next steps and prepare you for turning your ESOS report into a practical, and commercially competitive strategy in time for the Action Plan deadline of December 5th, 2024.

Let’s recap – understanding ESOS

ESOS is designed to help businesses identify opportunities for energy savings through efficiency measures, behavioural changes, and staff awareness. By focusing on energy, ESOS primarily addresses onsite emissions. Whilst the savings from these measures might not seem massive at first, they play a significant role in the broader goal of reducing pollution and reversing climate change. There is no change too small which contributes towards the greater global goal of Net Zero.

It’s worth noting that one major aspect of ESOS is addressing Scope 3 emissions, which are notoriously difficult to manage and report on. However, putting in the hard yards now during the early stages of your business decarbonisation is crucial to unlocking significant savings in the future.

Legal requirements and business implications

If your business falls under ESOS requirements, compliance is legally mandated. Although there are no immediate penalties for non-compliance, ignoring the findings can have knock on effects for your business. Proactively addressing these recommendations not only keeps you ahead of regulatory developments, but also helps you avoid being hit by hefty costs in and operational disruptions in the future.

Creating an action plan

After submitting your ESOS report by June 5th 2024, the next step is to deliver an action plan by December 5th 2024. This plan should detail how your business intends to implement your report’s findings.

As I’m sure you’ve experienced, time moves quickly. Sustainability initiatives often take longer than expected to bring to fruition, so getting started now is imperative to success.

What’s going to help you navigate the next six months with (relative) ease is starting early (now!), consulting with experts, and creating a comprehensive strategy and timeline.

Building your strategy

Consultants can help you bring your ESOS strategy to life because they have deep experience of navigating these regulations across multiple clients, sectors and industries.

My team at True can support you to develop a commercially competitive plan, including costs, approach and the implementation timeline. It’s our forte to provide a fully costed out plan which accounts for changes over time, comparing staff awareness programs to energy efficiency and lighting initiatives, for example, and help you build a strategy and timeline over years, not just the months leading up to December 5th.

With specific industry knowledge and insights, we can help you unlock the full potential of your ESOS report. We not only identify low-hanging fruit and the most efficient technologies for your business, we go one step further to connect you with the right people to execute your bespoke strategy.

If you’re not looking for insights from a sustainability consultant and are going it alone, don’t worry! Keep reading to follow my five-step approach for putting your ESOS report into action.

Navigating the current landscape

So much has changed since ESOS Phase 1 in 2014-2015. Currently in ESOS Phase 3, the market offers so much more choice and advanced technologies at competitive prices, as well as there being a much more advanced understanding of sustainability and how to  decarbonise your supply chain and drive systemic change.

One major thing that’s also changed is market saturation. This makes it harder to discern between reputable and non-reputable suppliers. Some suppliers, especially those in onsite generation, may push oversized solutions to maximise profit, for example recommending more solar panels than you can sensibly fit on your roof.

This is where expert consultation comes in: helping you navigate the best solutions and supplier fit for your business.

Putting your ESOS report into action: a five-step approach

Here is my five-step approach to putting your ESOS report into action in time for the December 5th deadline:

1. Act early:
   I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you need to start working on your action plan as soon as your ESOS report is completed. This ensures ample time for data gathering, tender processes, and proposal preparation.
2. Collaborate:
   Decarbonisation cannot be achieved in isolation; it requires shared efforts, learnings, and resources.Share insights, successes, and challenges to build a cohesive strategy.
3. Prioritise:
   Focus on identifying hotspots for emissions and low-hanging fruit for savings. Understand the pain points and identify key actions in an orderly timeline to execute them in the most logical order.
4. Consult experts:
   Engage with consultants who can provide unbiased, tech-agnostic advice, and help tailor a bespoke approach for your business. Their industry experience, technical know-how and wide network can be invaluable to giving you the insights you need to keep one step ahead of changing regulations.
5. Leverage technology:
   Nobody wants to be stuck in an Excel. Instead, use platforms that allow you to model outcomes and pencil out comprehensive strategies. This helps in visualising the impact of different initiatives and making informed decisions, especially when managing complex timelines and business models.

Turn your ESOS report into an actionable plan

Submitting your ESOS report is just the beginning. Turning its insights into actionable plans is crucial for achieving your business’s energy efficiency and decarbonisation goals. By acting early, collaborating effectively, consulting experts, and leveraging technology, you can reduce emissions, create savings and future-proof your business.

True is here to help you every step of the way, ensuring you unlock the full potential of your ESOS report and navigate the path to sustainability smoothly and successfully.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me if you need any assistance making your ESOS plans into a reality or have any questions. I’d love to hear from you. o.terrell@openenergymarket.com  

Want more? Register for our ESOS webinar.