ISO 50001 Energy Management System – What’s It All About?

In comparison to the ISO 9001, the ISO 50001:2011 is the new kid on the block. That said it is a classic ISO management system so anyone familiar with this type of system will be comfortable with the structure and style of ISO 50001.

But ISO 50001 is all about energy – and it can cover energy used in buildings, processes and transport.In the UK the adoption of ISO 50001 for large companies (typically employing more than 250 people) is being driven by government regulation.

That is not say it is becoming a regulatory requirement as such, but under the Energy Savings Opportunities Scheme (ESOS) Regulations, introduced in July 2014, ISO 50001 provides one of the four compliance routes.

To comply by this route large organisations must have a valid ISO 50001 certificate covering 100% of their energy use in place by 5 December.

So it’s great for the big boys, but what’s in it for me?

That is a good question! In a nutshell an ISO 50001 Energy Management System (EnMS) is about reducing energy use and by doing that saving costs while increasing profits.

It is not an environmental standard, but it does complement ISO 14001.

Experience tells us that companies who fully implement effective energy management typically reduce their energy use by between 5 and 10% – normally without capital expenditure.

The bonus is that these savings can be made year on year if there is a system like ISO 50001 to lock them in place.

A simple question you need to ask yourself is what would be the business impact of if I could reduce energy costs by 10%?

If that is an attractive idea then you should consider implementing an EnMS in line with ISO 50001.

Whilst you are thinking about the impact of a 10% reduction it is also worth thinking about what will happen to energy costs over the next 5 to 10 years. Do you think they are going to fall?

Implementing the ISO 50001

Implementing an EnMS can help manage the risk of rising energy costs and help you keep or improve your competitive edge.

Implementing ISO 50001 needs knowledge of management systems, so we would not recommend anyone who has not implemented at least ISO 9001 considering ISO 50001.

If you already have ISO 14001 you could think of either adding ISO 50001 as a separate certificate or enhancing your ISO 14001 EMS to include energy.

The real benefits of ISO 50001 come from the process of implementation. The starting point is to decide what energy use you want to cover – ideally you would cover all energy used by the company.

For example, you might decide to exclude company cars while instead concentrating on electricity and natural gas – the decision is up to you.

You do however need to cover your organisations ‘significant’ energy uses to meet the standard.

In addition to needing some ISO expertise to implement you also need to have energy management expertise – both of which can be provided by ISO Quality Services Ltd.

If the idea of reducing what you spend on energy is attractive to you and you are prepared to implement a management system to do so, then talk to us via 01905 670303 or alternatively you can email info@isoqsltd.com.

ISO Quality Services Ltd are proud to specialise in the implementation and certification of the Internationally recognised ISO and BS EN Management Standards.

Primarily working with clients throughout the whole of the UK and Ireland, ISO Quality Services Ltd also cover Europe and the UAE.

Do you want to get ahead of your competition? Win more tenders or save time and money on reoccurring issues? Contact us today!