Our recently released report revealed that many businesses are missing out on the opportunity to save by failing to implement their ESOS Phase 1 recommendations – but how much could businesses in the retail & leisure sector save?
Energy reporting is in the spotlight this year for businesses across all sectors, with the introduction of the new Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) framework in April and the ESOS Phase 2 deadline looming in December. So we decided to carry out a ‘pulse check’ of energy professionals, to gain an insight into their views on energy reporting and their preparedness for the Phase 2 deadline.
Retailers are lagging behind
When it comes to making the most out of their ESOS obligations, the retail and leisure sector showed the highest amount of apathy across all industries. Half of all retailers are yet to act on their energy saving recommendations from ESOS Phase 1, despite the potential for them to make direct savings to their bottom line by doing so.
Many (44%) claimed that they couldn’t act on their energy savings opportunities due to a lack of budget availability, while others stated that energy efficiency isn’t seen as a business priority within their organisation (11%). It’s perhaps because they haven’t realised the savings that can be made by implementing their recommendations that 67% of those in the retail and leisure industry don’t think that ESOS Phase 1 was worth it.
Concerningly, around 80% of retail and leisure organisations we spoke to had not yet begun their Phase 2 audits – the largest number of any sector by far at almost 20% higher than the average across all industries.
Where are the savings for retail and leisure businesses?
As part of our research, we also analysed data from the 320 businesses Inenco supported through ESOS Phase 1 to identify the most common areas for energy savings.
Across all sectors, including retail and leisure, the most common area for savings was revealed to be lighting. Retro-fitting high-efficiency lighting and installing lighting controls, sensors and timers typically requires relatively low investment, yet these measures can deliver significant savings within a short timescale.
Energy management – which includes actions such as encouraging behaviour change in staff, monitoring energy usage and optimising procurement strategies – was another key area for energy saving among retail and leisure organisations. We also found that focusing on heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) could deliver significant savings for businesses in this sector in less than 2.5 years.
To find out more, read the full report here.
Don’t miss out on savings
With significant savings available to retail and leisure businesses within short timescales, we’re encouraging all businesses within this sector to make sure they’re not missing out on the ESOS opportunity.
Inenco’s expert compliance team helped 320 organisations during ESOS Phase 2, achieving a 100% compliance rate. If you’re working within a retail or leisure organisation, talk to Inenco today about how we can help you to realise savings through ESOS – give us a call on 08451 46 36 26 or email enquiries@inenco.com.