ESOS Phase 4
The deadline is December 2027. The time to act is now.
If you've heard of ESOS but quietly filed it under "something to deal with later” - you're not alone. But with Phase 4 already underway and the qualification date arriving faster than most people expect, later is getting closer.
The good news? There's still time to do this properly. And done properly, ESOS isn't just a compliance exercise - it's one of the most structured opportunities you'll get to find and fix what's costing you.
What is ESOS?
ESOS (the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme) is the UK's mandatory energy assessment framework for large organisations. If you qualify, it's a legal requirement - regulated by the Environment Agency, with penalties for non-compliance of up to £50,000.
Phase 4 runs from December 2023 to December 2027.
Here's what you need to know:
• Qualification date: 31 December 2026
• Compliance deadline: 5 December 2027
Do you qualify?
You're in scope if your organisation meets at least one of the following:
→ 250 or more employees→ Annual turnover exceeding £44 million AND a balance sheet total exceeding £38 million
If you're part of a corporate group, it's the group as a whole that's assessed - so even if your individual entity is smaller, you may still be in scope.
What it finds
Most organisations that struggle with ESOS don't struggle because it's complicated. They
struggle because they left it too late.
When ESOS is rushed, it becomes a tick-box exercise. You get compliant, just about, but the report sits on a shelf and nothing changes. The savings that should have come from it never materialise.
The businesses that get real value from ESOS start early. They use the assessment as a roadmap - a structured, independently verified picture of where their energy is going and what to do about it.
That's the difference between compliance and opportunity.
What ESOS looks like when it's done properly
A good ESOS assessment doesn't just tell you what the regulations require.
It tells you:
→ Where your significant energy uses actually are
→ What's driving consumption across your buildings, equipment and operations
→ Which changes will deliver the fastest ROI
→ How to build a credible plan for reducing costs and carbon going forward
It's the starting point for an energy strategy, not a document that proves you looked.
CASE STUDY
We've been here before. Here's what happened.
One of our clients came to us after being wrongly advised that ESOS didn't apply to them.
By the time they got in touch, they'd missed the Phase 3 submission deadline, been non-compliant for over 12 months, and acted on advice that didn't reflect how their operation actually worked.
We stepped in. Within weeks:
The full Phase 3 assessment was completed
Everything was signed off properly
They were back to being fully compliant
But that wasn't the only win. While we were on site and working through their data, we identified over £25,000 worth of actionable energy savings. They've already signed up for Phase 4 with us.
ESOS shouldn't just be a report that sits on a shelf. It should tell you where you're wasting energy - and what to do about it.
Why HESS For ESOS?
We're not a compliance-only consultancy. We're energy and sustainability specialists who happen to do ESOS - which means we approach every assessment with one question in mind: what can we actually find here?
We understand how hospitality businesses operate. We know the pressures, the trading patterns, the operational realities that shape your energy use. And we bring that knowledge into every assessment we carry out.
With HESS, ESOS is the beginning of something useful - not the end of a process.
→ Qualified Lead Assessors
→ Full assessment and documentation handled
→ Practical energy savings identified alongside compliance
→ Support through to notification and beyond
Let's get you sorted for Phase 4
Whether you're not sure if you qualify, want to understand what a good assessment looks like, or you're ready to get started, we'd love to talk it through. No jargon. No hard sell. Just a straightforward conversation about where you stand and what makes sense next.
Why Choose Us
We are more than just consultants – we are hospitality experts. Our in-depth understanding of the industry sets us apart from competitors. With a proven track record in the hospitality sector, including Pub & Restaurant management, Head Chefs and property maintenance experts we bring unparalleled expertise to every project. Our clients receive tailored solutions that make a lasting impact.
Join us in shaping a more sustainable and energy-efficient future for the hospitality industry. At Hospitality Energy Savings & Sustainability, we don't just consult; we innovate.
Richard Felgate
Richard was Head of Energy Management at Mitchells & Butlers, one of the largest multisite hospitality companies in the UK. There Richard started from scratch transforming energy from being a cost that the business just incurred, to being one of the largest opportunities for profit within the P&L.
Simon Cocks
Simon has extensive energy management experience within the hospitality sector. He’s an expert on buildings and equipment, both from an operational perspective – training the teams that work within the buildings on how to achieve the greatest efficiency; and also from a technology point of view – how to make them as efficient as possible.
Dr. Sam Mudie
Dr. Sam is quite unique in the hospitality industry having completed a doctorate in energy reduction in commercial kitchens. This ground breaking research has showcased how energy efficient kitchens of the future may be specified, together with highlighting many current opportunities.
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