ESOS Phase 3 – Key Dates for Your Diary

The saying goes: fail to prepare, prepare to fail. That’s certainly the case when it comes to energy compliance. As a business owner or site manager, it’s always best to plan ahead and make note of key dates to keep your site safe and compliant.

With ESOS phase 3 approaching, this post will discuss the dates you’ll need to keep in mind.

What is ESOS phase 3?

ESOS phase 3 is the third phase of the Energy Saving Opportunity Scheme (ESOS). It requires businesses of a certain size to calculate, record and report their energy consumption. More specifically, you’ll need to:

• Appoint a lead assessor. This can be an internal employee or external contractor, but they must be ESOS-approved.
• Calculate your total energy consumption. That refers to energy used by your organisation’s activities (industrial processes, transport) and any assets held (buildings, vehicles).
• Identify areas of significant energy consumption. Any assets or activities that account for 90% or more of your total energy consumption need to be audited if they aren’t covered by ISO 50001, DECs or GDAs.
• Notify the Environment Agency. To do so, you’ll need to submit an ESOS notification of compliance online.
• Record how you’ve complied with ESOS. These records can take whichever form you choose and should be kept in an evidence pack.

Key ESOS phase 3 dates

Like phases 1 and 2, ESOS phase 3 covers a four-year window. Here are the most important ESOS phase 3 dates to note:

6^th December 2019

After the deadline for ESOS phase 2 on 5^th December 2019, the following day marked the start of ESOS phase 3.

31^st December 2022

The final day of 2022 marks the date on which you’ll need to check whether you qualify with the ESOS Phase 3 criteria. Remember, organisations that qualify are those that are classed as a ‘large undertaking’. For this date, the definition of a large undertaking will be as follows:

• A UK company that employs 250 or more people
• And/or one which has an annual turnover exceeding £44 million, and an annual balance sheet total exceeding £38 million

5^th December 2023

This is the deadline date for ESOS phase 3 compliance. In other words, it’s the day by which you need to fulfil your obligation to submit your ESOS notification.

ESOS phase 3 reference period dates

It’s also worth noting the reference period that’s used for calculations and assessments. The period should comprise 12 consecutive months which begin no more than 12 months before the qualification date and end on the compliance date or earlier.

That means it can be as early as 31^st December 2021 to 31^st December 2022, or as late as 5^th December 2022 to 5^th December 2023.

ESOS phase 3 taken care of

From ESOS phase 3 dates to eligibility criteria and the various obligations, it can all become a little overwhelming when you’ve got other things on your plate. At Volta Compliance, we’ve been helping companies across Yorkshire with their ESOS obligations since the scheme was launched in 2014.

Our ESOS-approved contractors will take care of everything from calculations and audits to the final notification, so you can focus on what your business does best. Give us a call today on 0113 436 0402 to find out more, or email [email protected] and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.