More than 45,000 businesses warned of EU energy efficiency fines

All large organisations must conduct energy audits by 5th December 2019

More than 45,000 businesses could be hit with fines of up to €1 million (£0.88m) if they fail to comply with EU energy efficiency reporting rules.

The warning from energy certification body and consultancy DNV GL comes in relation to the European Energy Efficiency Directive, under which all large organisations – with at least 250 employees or annual revenues of more than €50 million (£44m) – must conduct energy audits.

That includes calculating their total energy consumption and identifying saving opportunities across their estate every four years, with the next deadline on 5th December 2019.

Organisations with multiple operations across Europe must meet the legislative requirements in each EU member state they operate in – all 28 countries have their own specific audit requirements.

The previous compliance date in 2015 saw thousands of companies fail to submit sufficient documentation and evidence. The UK’s Environment Agency said more than 3,000 organisations hadn’t notified their intent to comply to the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS).

DNV GL is urging companies to start planning ahead to ensure the deadline is met and has launched a new online tool which enables them to collect the data necessary to self-assess their compliance.

Prajeev Rasiah, Executive Vice President for DNV GL’s energy business in North Europe, Middle East & Africa said: “Since each of the 28 EU member states has different compliance requirements, submitting the correct information can be a cumbersome task.

“To simplify the process, our tool gives businesses access to a single knowledge hub of comprehensive information and policy experts who have deep knowledge of the regulatory variations and timescale requirements for all 28 member states.”

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