As ESOS legislation has been in effect since December 2015 with Phase 1 of the scheme and each subsequent Phase following every 4 years. A number of organisations are affected and required to assess and report on their energy use and plan energy-saving opportunities.

There are many advantages to complying with ESOS regulations, including the potential to reduce your organisation’s energy use and carbon emissions, which may lead to cost savings if the suggested recommendations are implemented.

If your ESOS submissions are accurate, they can help you towards your Net Zero goals and Carbon Reduction Plans. Having accurate ESOS submissions can also help you identify areas where you can reduce your energy consumption and carbon emissions. By implementing these reduction plans, you can work towards achieving your Net Zero goals.

It is important to note that there are sanctions for breaking the law. We have gathered further details on the fines below.

What are the penalties that can be issued?

If ESOS is not followed, a variety of penalties, including Compliance Notices, Enforcement Notices, and Civil Penalties, may be issued. A civil penalty of up to £50,000 may be imposed, in addition to a daily penalty of £500 for each day the organisation is found to be in violation from the day following the compliance date up to a maximum of 80 days.

Who will issue the penalties?

The legislation is regulated by the environmental regulator who can issue a number of different enforcements including compliance notices, enforcement notices and civil penalties.

The Environment Agency has so far issued:

• 2751 Compliance Notices
• 2133 Enforcement Notices
• 83 Civil Penalties amounting to £1,217,440.

In relation to non-compliance with Phase 2.

How Can Compliance365 help you avoid penalties?

Compliance365 can help your organisation avoid being issued with penalties including providing tailored solutions for your organisation to ensure you fulfil the ESOS criteria.

Compliance365 can also help with the upcoming changes to ESOS as the government declares its intent to make changes to current ESOS legislation.  If the changes are accepted after going through the parliamentary process, they will come into force before the December 5, 2023, Phase 3 compliance deadline. You can read more here.

As well as helping you with upcoming changes to the ESOS scheme, we can help guide you through the UK’s proposed changes to Phase 4, which you can read about here.

To speak to a member of our team about ESOS or to secure your lead assessor, call 01924 669940 or e-mail sales@compliance365.co.uk for help.

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Due to the rise in the cost of living the UK government is developing a funding scheme, to help homes become more energy efficient and reduce energy bills for households. The funding will potentially benefit households with an EPC rating of a D or lower or those in a low council tax band.

The ECO+ scheme aims to help households that do not already benefit from government funding. Current government funding options under the Help to Heat scheme come to a total of £6.6 billion but with the addition of the ECO+ funding, an extra £1 billion will be available. We have collected some important information about the scheme below:

Is the scheme the same as the ECO4 funding?

No, the scheme is different from the ECO4 scheme. ECO4 is aimed at improving the energy efficiency of homes occupied by low-income and vulnerable households, which is different to the ECO+ scheme. The ECO+ scheme is aimed at households with an EPC rating of a D or lower or those in a low council tax band. The ECO4 scheme will continue to run alongside ECO+ for more information about the ECO4 scheme you can read more information here.

When will the scheme start?

As the scheme has not yet been finalised and is still in the processing stage, the start date has not been published, however, if the government are successful with its bid to release the funding, then changes will likely come into force in April 2023 and run until March 2026.

Are there other schemes available to help households?

Yes, other schemes are available to help households with the rise in energy costs, including Help to Heat schemes. Due to the rise in the cost of heating a home, the UK government has created several schemes to help with the rise in energy costs. The UK government are investing over £12 billion in Help to Heat schemes including:

• The Boiler Upgrade Scheme
• Local Authority Delivery Scheme (Sustainable Warmth Competition)
• Home Upgrade Grant (Sustainable Warmth Competition)
• Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund
• Energy Company Obligation (ECO)

You can visit the government’s page here if you require further information about the Help to Heat grants.

How Can Compliance365 help?

As a provider of EPC certificates, we can provide you with an EPC certificate so you can view the current rating of your property and if you meet the requirements for the funding.

If you would like a quote for an EPC, get in touch at 01924 669940 or e-mail sales@compliance365.co.uk

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The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) legislation has been in effect for 5 years and was introduced to improve the energy performance of new buildings. The purpose of the new legislation was to increase the rate of upgrades to existing inefficient properties and raise awareness of energy-related issues.

Changes are due to come into effect in April of this year meaning landlords will no longer be able to continue to let a property with an EPC rating of an F or G.

How do the changes affect my property?

The MEES legislation will affect commercial properties with leases that are already in place from April 2023 as well as the currently affected new leases. April 2023 will see further restraints introduced making it unlawful to continue to let a property with an F or G rating regardless of whether there is a change to a tenancy.

Will this be the last change to the MEES legislation?

No, the government has proposed changes to introduce a new milestone in the MEES legislation,

That will require landlords to improve their property to have an EPC rating of at least a C by the 1st of April 2027.  Further proposed changes include that by the 1st of April 2030, EPC ratings will be required to be a B.

How we can help

Compliance365 can help support you as a landlord or property owner to comply with MEES legislation and give guidance on raising your EPC rating from an ‘F’ or ‘G’ rating. Compliance365 can help you become compliant with MEES legislation in numerous ways including:

• Assessing the Energy Efficiency of a building, by producing an EPC.
• Produce an EPC Review on an EPC carried out by ourselves. This report proposes cost-effective upgrades that could be made to the property, detailing the improved energy rating, cost, kWh, and CO2 savings.
• Providing advice on the legislation and the implications for both the Landlord and the occupier.

If you would like to chat with a member of our team about the changes to MEES legislation, get in touch at 01924 669940 or e-mail sales@compliance365.co.uk

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Since 2014, the ESOS scheme has mandated almost 10,000 UK-based organizations with auditing their estates and identifying potential energy-saving opportunities.

While the legislation has been in effect for 8 years and we are currently in Phase 3 of ESOS submissions, we are aware of the significant work that must be done to comply with it.

ESOS audits look at an organisation’s current methods for measuring and managing energy consumption as well as any quality management systems or policies to identify cost-effective energy-saving measures. The energy consumption of a company’s facilities, industrial processes, and transportation are all assessed as part of an ESOS audit.

To help you gain a better understanding of ESOS audits, we have gathered the requirements below:

Calculating your total energy consumption.

An initial estimate of total energy consumption covering energy used in buildings, transportation, and industrial processes must be included and begin no earlier than 12 months before the commencement of the compliance period.

Once areas of significant energy consumption have been identified, equating to at least 90% of their total consumption, a more detailed audit of those areas can be conducted to establish where energy savings could be made. Types of energy audits to be conducted include individual energy audits on the property portfolio, fleet, and industrial processes.

Site visits

Organisations are required to have site visits carried out on a number of sites to collect and analyze data for all areas of significant energy consumption.

Your appointed lead assessor will help to decide which sites are suitable for sampling that best reflect the energy consumption patterns. The ESOS legislation does not include which sites should be visited; it is the responsibility of the lead assessor and the organisation to determine which sites are used.

Appointing a Lead Assessor

To have a successful ESOS submission process, a Lead Assessor must sign off on your submission.

Lead Assessors are required to be registered with an approved professional body such as Stroma. to view a list of approved registers of ESOS lead assessors click here.

At Compliance365, we have a team of Lead Assessors that can help you carry out and review your ESOS submission ahead of the Phase 3 deadline.

Send a formal notification to the Environment Agency, the scheme’s 

administrator (EA). 

Send a formal notification to the Environment Agency, the scheme’s administrator (EA).

An organisation is required to submit proof of their eligibility to take part in the scheme, along with any supporting records that detail your organisation’s compliance.

At this point, you are not required to submit energy data.

You must be as accurate as you can with your submission. If you have entered information incorrectly then send an E-mail to esos@environment-agency.gov.uk with the original submission date, the Companies House registration number (if applicable), and the name of the organisation.

How can Compliance365 help you with your Phase 3 ESOS submission?

We can provide tailored solutions for your organization to ensure you fulfil the ESOS criteria.

Compliance365 can also help with the upcoming changes to ESOS due to the government declaring its intent to make changes to current ESOS legislation.  If the changes are accepted after going through the parliamentary process, they will come into force before the December 5, 2023, Phase 3 compliance deadline. You can read more here.

As well as helping you with upcoming changes to the ESOS scheme, we can help guide you through the UK’s proposed changes to Phase 4, which you can read about here.

To speak to a member of our team about ESOS or to secure your lead assessor, call 01924 669940 or e-mail sales@compliance365.co.uk for help.

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The term Net-Zero implies reaching a balance between greenhouse gas emissions emitted and greenhouse gas emissions taken out of the atmosphere. To help our clients better understand Net Zero and how they can achieve it in alignment with the UK government’s goal, we have collected some answers to FAQs about Net Zero below.

How can businesses achieve Net-Zero emissions?

For businesses to achieve Net Zero and help the government reach its target, they are required to reduce their carbon footprint. One of the first steps to reducing a carbon footprint is to identify the current carbon footprint of an organisation. This can be done by developing a road map. Road maps can help organisations better understand the steps required for their organisation to become carbon neutral.

Is it worth reaching Net Zero?

Yes, becoming Net Zero can give your company many advantages to not only you but the environment, such as an improved business reputation, lower energy costs, and a competitive advantage over competitors.

How can Compliance365 help organisations achieve Net Zero emissions by 2050?

While many businesses have established Net Zero goals, some have not yet started and require assistance. We can assist businesses in several ways to get to Net Zero before the UK government’s target date, such as developing road maps that can aid organisations in gaining a better understanding of the steps necessary to get to Net Zero carbon emissions. As well as helping organisations to develop a Net Zero road map, we provide solutions such as behavioural training, billing management, effective energy management, energy, and carbon auditing, SECR, and ESOS.

Get in contact with one of our knowledgeable energy consultancy experts by calling 01924 669940 or sending an email to sales@compliance365.co.uk for guidance to begin your journey towards Net Zero.

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As the UK government have a goal of becoming Net Zero by 2050, local authorities have a responsibility to improve the areas they manage, lowering carbon emissions and relying less on fossil fuels to heat public buildings.

A way to decarbonise your property stock is through Heat Decarbonisation Plans (HDP), which may allow you to meet your energy goals more quickly. An HDP outlines how a business is planning to reduce its reliance on Fossil Fuelled heating systems, through the installation of low-carbon alternatives such as Air and Ground Source Heat Pumps. An HDP is also intended to assist organisations to work towards their Net Zero Carbon Targets.

Not only will decarbonising help the government reach its Net Zero goal, but organisations can benefit from reducing carbon emissions which in turn may improve the local area. Organisations can benefit in numerous ways such as:

Strengthening relationships within the local area

Collaboration may make Heat Decarbonisation easier to achieve, local authorities may already be able to collaborate with the local community due to existing relationships. If they share common goals, organisations with pre-existing relationships with local authorities may be more willing to help in the implementation of HDP than organisations without pre-existing relationships.

Aligning decarbonisation goals with business goals

With the rise in energy and fuel prices and overall running costs, organisations are looking for ways to make their budgets stretch further. By developing HDP, organisations can benefit from identifying opportunities to make substantial savings on energy bills as well as putting plans in place to minimise the CO2 emissions organisations produce.

How Can We Help

To read further information about how your organisation can benefit from Heat Decarbonisation Plans click here or read our dedicated page here.

If you would like help with developing an HDP or more information about how we can help you with your Heat Decarbonisation needs, call us on 01924 669940 or e-mail sales@compliance365.co.uk.

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Now that the colder weather is here once again, we understand the need to turn the heating up, which in turn may increase your energy bills and in the current climate, this is something we are all wanting to avoid.

Below we have listed some top tips that may help you to reduce your energy consumption and potentially reduce your energy bills:

Give your boiler a check-up

By having your boiler serviced regularly, you could benefit from early detection of faults which could lead to better energy efficiency, as well as saving you money on your energy bills further down the line.

Have the fireplace in your home cleaned

During the colder months, using the fireplace to heat your home can create a cosy feel but can also increase your energy bills. Having your fireplace professionally cleaned may help increase energy efficiency and lower your heating bills, due to finding blockages within the system and removing them.

Change the heating settings throughout your home

If you have areas of your home that you use less frequently, such as a guest bedroom or a storage room, changing the heating settings in these rooms may help you save money on your energy bills. Changing the heating settings allows you to control where the heat is produced in your home, ensuring that less-used rooms are not.

As well as changing the heating settings in the rooms around your home, turning down the thermostatic value on radiators to a lower setting can also help you control the temperature within your home.

How Can We Help

We can offer bespoke advice and guidance on an individual basis about reducing energy consumption. Contact us today at 01924 669940 or send us an email at sales@compliance365.co.uk to find out how we can help you.

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