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A new standard published this week will help UK businesses manage their energy usage and improve efficiency, says standards and certification body BSI.

The standard, BS EN 16001, which lays out the requirements for energy management systems, includes the need to identify an organisation’s past, present and future energy consumption and develop an energy policy and a monitoring – or metering – plan.

The framework laid out in the standard deliberately does not prescribe exactly how operations should be run. Rather than stipulate a range of technical solutions, it encourages embedding energy efficiency measures in all of an organisation’s decisions.

The guidelines suggest that organisations appoint specific staff to manage energy use and promote efficiency measures, set specific energy use or saving targets, install monitoring systems and regularly review progress.

The BSI says that it believes there will be a great demand for the new standard. According to a recent survey of 800 public and private sector organisations in the UK, only half of respondents said their energy management practices are good or very good, despite over three-quarters rating energy management as being important or very important to senior management.

“Our research tells us that the interest in energy management is primarily driven by potential cost savings and a desire to protect the global climate,” says director of standards at BSI, Mike Low. “This standard offers these benefits and will help organizations streamline their compliance with legislation.

For further information:
www.bsigroup.com/bsen16001