DESNZ MESOS Reporting System Update | Action plan templates are out!

Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) compliance – What’s happening?

In order to prioritise resources on providing the functionality required for action plans (APs) in MESOS as soon as possible, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has had to take a decision not to enable ESOS participants to add restricted users (e.g. external lead assessors) to their MESOS accounts to provide action plans.

This decision also recognises that there are fewer information requirements on APs compared to those for the notification of compliance (NOC), and the time commitment required for ESOS participants to enter information provided to them in this way is expected to be relatively low.

It also delivers the policy intent that ESOS participants should take an active role in choices on the recommendations from their audits.

In place of this functionality, templates will be made available alongside further guidance that we will cascade next week, so that ESOS participants can engage lead assessors to prepare the information for them offline. Completed templates will then need to be returned to the ESOS participant to allow them to enter the information into MESOS themselves.

For organisations qualifying for Phase 3 of ESOS, the deadline for submitting your ESOS Action Plan is the 5th December 2024. Although organisations should look to meet the 5 December 2024 deadline where possible, in order to assist ESOS participants in preparing and submitting their action plans, the Environment Agency (EA) and Regulators for the Devolved Administrations will accept submitted action plans provided that you submit them by the 5th March 2025.

Guidance on how to compile and complete the action plan submission can be found in the Action Plan data requirements template below. This template is provided as a tool which lead assessors / responsible undertakings may wish to use to help them collect the information required to complete the action plan submission in order to comply with the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS).

Action plans must then be submitted via the online system (“MESOS” i.e. Manage you ESOS reporting) by the responsible undertaking in order to be compliant.