Almost 6,000 organisations had complied with energy efficiency regulations when an extended deadline passed last week.
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency, which regulates the energy savings opportunity scheme (ESOS), said that it had received notifications of compliance from 5,948 organisations, with a further 1,000 saying they intended to comply.
‘We believe that approximately 70% of organisations that qualify for ESOS are on the road to compliance,’ he said.
In the two days before 29 January deadline, the agency received 1,015 notifications of compliance, the spokesperson added. This last-minute action reflected earlier fears of a slow start to compliance by organisations covered by the scheme.
He said the agency would now match the notifications it has received to the list of companies covered by ESOS.
‘Our focus is on bringing organisations into compliance with ESOS and we will start contacting those that have not yet complied this month,’ the spokesperson said. ‘We will normally use enforcement notices to bring organisations into compliance and only issue civil penalties in the most serious cases.’
Companies can also meet the regulation by becoming certified under the international energy management standard, ISO 50001. Firms have until 30 June to achieve certification.