Thursday 18 September 2014
How many businesses in the UK will need to have energy audits under the new Energy Saving Opportunities Scheme (ESOS)?
It’s a question that won’t be answered until the deadline for firms to assess whether they qualify, on 31 December 2014.
DECC’s lead civil servant for the Energy Saving and Opportunity Scheme reckons there are around 7,400.
Dr Philip Douglas, Head of Energy Efficiency Strategy at DECC’s Energy Efficiency Deployment Office told ELN the figure on the sidelines of The Energy Event in Birmingham on Tuesday.
Recent industry estimates have put the figure at closer to 10,000.
Asked whether there would be enough assessors to carry out the audits, he played down fears there would be a shortage.
But some industry figures have privately questioned whether experts with the right qualifications to be an ESOS auditor will be available to conduct the work, if they are already in full-time employment.
The Environment Agency is due to reveal which qualifications match ESOS criteria within a fortnight.