Become an EMA Registered ESOS Lead Assessor

How to become an EMA Registered ESOS Lead Assessor?

The four-step process through which a candidate is placed on the register is outlined below.

1. Application — The application form can be downloaded here.
   NB. As part of the application each candidate must submit a CV, copies of academic, vocational or professional qualification certificates and evidence of competence in the mandatory areas outlined in PAS 51215:2014 and as outlined in the Competence and Commitment section of the application form. In addition to the application form, CV and certificates, the initial pack should also include a signed copy of the EMA Code of Conduct (this can be done within the application form).
2. Become an ESOS Lead Assessor Course — This one day tutor-led virtual course (Zoom delivery) has been designed to ensure successful candidates are conversant in all aspects of ESOS. The next available course date is 1 March 2024. 
   NB. A place on the course is guaranteed only upon the EMA's review of the application pack, deemed all evidence satisfactory, reference checked and payment received.
3. Written Assessment — Each candidate will be asked to complete a post-course written assessment to progress to the Peer Review Interview stage.
4. Peer Review Interview — The candidate will then undergo a peer-review interview (conducted via Zoom) by two members of the EMA ESOS Scrutiny Panel to check the candidate's knowledge of the ESOS compliance requirements, knowledge gained through the process, professional energy management experience and technical skills gained throughout candidate's career, and also to check the validity of the evidence provided at the previous stages.

What is ESOS?

The Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS), as an energy assessment and energy savings scheme, mandates that all large enterprises carry out an ESOS compliant energy assessment and identify energy efficiency opportunities at least ones every four years. ESOS was established through the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme Regulations 2014 (ESOS Regulations) and significantly amended in 2023, through The Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2023.

We are now in the Phase 3 (third compliance period) of ESOS. The final date for compliance and making your ESOS Phase 3 notification to the Environment Agency is 5 June 2024 (the initial Phase 3 deadline was 5 December 2023, but it has been extended to the June 2024 date).

Following submission of the compliance notification, participating organizations are require to:

• complete an ESOS action plan by the action plan deadline of 5 December 2024
• complete 2 annual progress updates in the 2 years following the action plan deadline.

The 2023 legislation, in addition to extending the compliance date, now includes new Phase 3 compliance requirements concerning:

• public disclosure of information relating to ESOS audits,
• production of action plans with annual progress reporting,
• and a greater standardisation in information collated, as set out in the July 2022 Government Response.

The outlined changes are designed to strengthen and standardise the requirements for ESOS audits and to improve their quality. They are intended to facilitate reductions in energy use and related greenhouse gas emissions and increase energy bills savings in large businesses and their corporate groups across the UK.

Formal guidance relating to additional Phase 3 reporting requirements is provided in the Comply with the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme guidance document.

ESOS Phase 3 Changes

Changes brought in by the SI enact the following:

• Strengthening requirements for audits / standardisation
• Requires participants to audit at least 95% of total energy consumption – this was previously at least 90%. •
• Requires responsible undertakings to lay out more detail in respect of the calculation of participants’ energy consumption, including energy intensity ratios.
• Requires participants to explain how the site visits that are carried out for energy audits are considered to be representative of energy use covered by the audit.
• Requires all participants to produce an ESOS report, including those using alternative compliance routes such as the ISO 50001 energy management system, and requires specific data to be included. This includes information on energy savings made since the previous compliance date.
• Requires the responsible undertaking to disclose to all members of the corporate group certain relevant information from the ESOS report and relevant supporting information relating to alternative compliance routes.

Improve the quality of ESOS audits

• Specifies information that must be identified in relation to energy saving opportunities, including their costs, benefits and a programme for implementing them.

Require public disclosure of high-level recommendations by participants

• Requires additional information to be notified to the scheme administrator in relation to the participant’s energy consumption and other information to support compliance monitoring and enforcement.
• Following the submission of the compliance notification, requires participants, including those relying wholly or partly on alternative compliance routes, to produce and notify an ESOS action plan to the scheme administrator setting out any commitments to implement energy efficiency measures, and requires them to provide annual progress updates against actions they have committed to.
• Requires some of the additional information that is required to be notified to the scheme administrator, as well as action plans and progress updates, to be publicly disclosed.

Other provisions

• Extends the deadline for compliance with phase 3 of ESOS, including extending the dates in relation to most of the supporting data used, to allow participants more time to comply with phase 3 of ESOS, given the change made by these regulations.
• Puts into legislation an exemption from appointing a lead assessor for participants whose energy consumption is less than 40,000 kWh, but adds a requirement for two directors to sign off the compliance notification in this case.
• Sets out responsibilities for the action plan and subsequent progress updates where there are changes to a corporate group.
• Introduces specific requirements where estimates are made under the regulations.
• Applies the legislative changes to relevant trust assets.

If you have any queries in relation to the new requirements for Phase 3 please email Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) at [email protected].

Stay up to date with the Environment Agency's Newsletters:

ESOS NEWSLETTER -> NOVEMBER 2023 (ISSUE 15)

ESOS NEWSLETTER –> SEPTEMBER 2023 (ISSUE 14) + Annex A

ESOS NEWSLETTER –> JUNE 2023 (ISSUE 13)

ESOS NEWSLETTER –> MAY 2023 (ISSUE 12)

Which organisations qualify for ESOS?

1. Any UK organisation must comply with the Energy Saving Opportunities Scheme (ESOS) if it is a large undertaking, or is part of a corporate group which includes another UK undertaking, and meet either one or both of the conditions below:

– has 250 or more employees, or
– has a turnover of more than £44 million annually,  and an annual balance sheet total of more than £38 million

2. Any overseas (non-UK registered) company with a UK registered establishment which has 250 or more UK employees

Organisations qualify for the third ESOS compliance period if, on 31 December 2022, they met the ESOS definition of a large undertaking. Whilst ESOS compliance predominantly applies to businesses,  not-for-profit organisations and any other non public sector undertakings that meet the criteria must also comply.

For more information about ESOS, and to find out if your organisation will need to take part, refer to the Comply with the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme guidance

The EMA offers opportunities for your company to train one of your staff member to undertake your ESOS compliance, or to appoint one of the EMA Registered Lead Assessors. If you have any questions regarding the training to become a registered ESOS Lead Assessor or appointing an ESOS Lead Assessor, please email [email protected].

Find a Lead Assessor

• Graeme Johnson
• Chris Scriven
• Malcolm Hanna

View our list of ESOS Lead Assessors