edie energy managers’ survey reveals ESOS ‘not worthwhile’

The survey, sponsored by Centrica Business Solutions, showed the majority of energy leaders were prepared for the end of ESOS Phase 2 (90%) – but were sceptical of the overall worth of the legislation, with 60% claiming it was ‘not worthwhile’.

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Amongst other findings, the survey found:

• 70% of businesses say employees are more engaged with energy issues than a year ago;
• Despite the rise in awareness, behaviour change/engagement remains the biggest challenge for business energy in 2020;
• Competing/conflicting employee priorities is the biggest barrier to energy behaviour change for 65% of firms.

The Barometer reveals several respondents citing the growing national awareness of climate change to be a key catalyst for this. In fact, only 2.5% of respondents said their employees have become less engaged with energy issues, with the remaining 27.5% claiming there has been no change in the levels of engagement.

Challenges

The latest quarterly edition of the Business Energy Barometer is based on an extensive survey of members of edie’s Energy Leaders Club – a community of senior energy managers and practitioners working for large organisations across the UK.

Despite respondents seeing a rise in employee engagement on energy, the Barometer also reveals behaviour change/engagement to be the biggest challenge for business energy in 2020 – cited by 40% of respondents, which put it at the top of the list of challenges ahead of funding/access to finance (37.5%) and energy/environment policy (25%) in the list of challenges. This marks the third quarter in a row that behaviour change/engagement has topped the list of business energy challenges.

When asked which audience represented the biggest behaviour change challenge, 45% of respondents cited employees. Of those respondents, 72% claimed that the primary reason for this employee behaviour change challenge was conflicting/competing priorities within the business.

The starting point

Commenting on the Barometer results, Centrica Business Solutions Director Ian Hopkins, said: “Businesses are under pressure to minimise business energy costs, cut carbon emissions and improve resilience, so it comes as no surprise that 90% of large company CEOs are engaging with energy efficiency.

“Although reducing consumption and behaviour change are the foundations of  any energy strategy, we mustn’t forget that this is just the starting point in the sustainability journey.”

• The Business Energy Barometer can be downloaded for free here.
• The previous Business Barometers can be downloaded for free here. 

Join the conversation with the Energy Leaders Club

The Business Barometer has been designed primarily for members of edie’s Energy Leaders Club – the free members club for in-house energy managers and practitioners who are responsible for managing and reducing their organisation’s energy.

Membership of the Club is open to both existing energy ‘leaders’ and the managers and practitioners who aim to become the energy leaders of tomorrow. Club membership is closed to suppliers and solutions providers.

To join the Energy Leaders Club, please fill out this membership application form.

edie staff