#138 Routes to ESOS Compliance – ISO 50001

Apr 26, 2023

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The Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) is a legal requirement for organisations of a certain size or value. The scheme is designed to make companies look at how they use energy with a view to improving performance. If your organisation qualifies for ESOS, you have until December 5th to comply or complete your phase 3 reporting.

Last week Mel explained the Energy Audits route to compliance, which is a process that must be repeated every 4 years. Companies that want to avoid the inevitable rush to get reports submitted before the deadline may want to consider a more long-term commitment to ensure continued compliance, that being the Implementation of ISO 50001.

ISO 50001 is the standard for Energy Management, and it goes above and beyond what is required of ESOS. Companies certified to this standard are already considered compliant to ESOS with out the need to complete any additional reporting outside of what is already monitored and measured by the standard.

Join Mel this week as she explains what ISO 50001 is, how it complies with ESOS requirements and the key differences between other environmental standards such as ISO 14001.

You’ll learn

● What is ISO 50001?

● How ISO 50001 complies with ESOS?

● What is the difference between ISO 50001 and ISO 14001?

Resources

· ESOS

· ISO 50001

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:50] Watch our previous episode to learn more about Energy Audits

[01:00] Reminder: Companies certified to ISO 50001 do not have to carry our Energy Audits.

[01:14] What is ISO 50001? This is the Energy Management Standard, a globally recognised best practice framework designed to help manage a companies energy performance, optimise their energy efficiency and reduce their overall impact.

[01:50] Why have a Standard for Energy Management? This standard is most appliable for businesses who are looking to put measures in place to reduce their overall environmental impact, specifically in relation to energy management. Businesses who operate data centers or large healthcare facilities will use a lot of energy, many Implement ISO 50001 to help reduce their costs for energy.

[02:48] Why Implement ISO 50001 if you already have ISO 14001? – ISO 50001 is specifically aimed at the energy aspect of environmental impact. It helps businesses to take a deeper look at their operations and how their managing energy performance. If you already have ISO 14001, you’re already half-way there, and ISO 50001 could easily be integrated as an enhancement to your Management System.

[03:25] If you want to claim ESOS compliance, it’s important to ensure that your ISO 50001 certification is valid for the compliance date.

[03:50] If you want to go down the ISO 50001 route, the time to act in now (April / May 2023) – You will need to factor in a minimum of 6 months to Implement ISO 50001. Need help with this? Contact us!

[04:40] There has been an increase in uptake of ISO 50001, which has put a lot of UK certification Bodies under pressure to get Assessments booked in before the ESOS deadline. So get in touch with a few UKAS accredited Certification Bodies ASAP to find out if they can accommodate you in an appropriate time frame. We offer a quote request service for free, simply contact us for more info.

[05:50] More about ISO 50001 – It’s based on the Plan-Do-Act-Check cycle, which is a familiar structure to a lot of ISO’s. Many aspects of ISO 50001 Implementation will be similar to the likes of ISO 9001, i.e. having policies and procedures in place and conducting Internal Audits ect.

[06:34] How does ISO 50001 differ from ISO 14001? – The main difference is the requirement for an Energy Review. This is all about understanding how you’re using energy as an organisation, then using that information to recommend controls to reduce energy use.

[07:43] You will be able to determine your Energy Performance Indicators following on from an Energy Review. These help to establish a clear roadmap and energy controls for reducing energy usage. For example, you could put controls in place for certain equipment, LED light replacements, cycle to work or car share schemes ect.

[08:45] What is the benefit of ISO 50001 over Energy Audits?: ISO 50001 puts a whole system in place to continually Improve your energy performance through controls and procedures. Energy Audits will only tell you about your current energy use and provide recommendations for Improvement with no clear roadmap or further incentive to Implement those changes.

[09:00] What else is involved with ISO 50001?: Another key aspect of ISO 50001 is the continued monitoring and measurement of energy performance. This can then be reported back to the board so they can see the progress being made.

[10:00] What are the key clauses in ISO 50001? ISO 50001 went under a revision in 2018 to align itself with Annex SL, which is common across a lot of other ISO’s. The 10 clauses are as follows:

· Clauses 1,2,3 – Explanatory clauses. You won’t Implement these, they simply provide context and help with key terms and definitions.

· Clause 4 – Context of the Organisation

· Clause 5 – Leadership

· Clause 6 – Planning

· Clause 7 – Support

· Clause 8 – Operations

· Clause 9 – Performance Evaluation

· Clause 10 – Improvement

[11:00] Want more info on ISO 50001? – Head on over to the isologyhub to get access to a wealth of ISO 50001, and energy management tools

For those interested in ISO 50001, we’re offering a free copy of the Standard to anyone who signs up for Implementation with us before the 16th June.

Tune in next week where we explore the many benefits of Implementing ISO 50001.

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