Energy round up: 5 key dates and trends to look out for in 2019
With Christmas and New Year celebrations well behind us, it’s a salient time for the Hub’s business community to focus on the vital themes that will make up this year’s energy agenda.
Here’s your lowdown on what to look out for…
ESOS Phase 2 – deadline 5th Dec 2019
Many Hub readers will be familiar with this date already, but we make no apologies for spelling it out once again.
This December, firms must be ready to report on ESOS for the second time. The reporting work, many argue, should be put to best use by actually putting in place the energy efficiency recommendations within.
Last time around, there was a serious shortfall of Lead Assessors in the run in to compliance deadlines. The sense this year is that firms need to put arrangements in place early, and get to grips with ESOS requirements before demand spikes hinder ability to get the reporting done.
For a handy reminder on what’s required, you should consult this previous Hub piece. And for a useful ESOS overview, click here.
SECR – replaces CRC and comes into force April 2019
Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting also comes into force this year. SECR reports must be filed as part of financial reporting starting on or after 1st April 2019.
Many firms are still getting up to speed on what SECR is, and indeed what they need to do. The Hub has an area dedicated to SECR news and advice that will help to answer your questions. You can also view the draft secr guidance, which is currently being consulted on.
And, we’ve also created an information piece that will remind businesses of the solid capital benefits they can achieve from working with SECR correctly.
Capacity market suspension
The UK’s capacity market is currently suspended. The basics of a complex scenario are that the European Court of Justice has ruled the scheme could be in breach of state aid rules.
The European Commission will conduct a formal investigation due to kick off sometime in early 2019. We’ve reported on the impasse before and will keep you updated on developments as they happen.
Network charges are changing – consultation ongoing
We’ve also previously reported that businesses which generate their own power may be faced with higher electricity network charges under proposed reforms announced by Ofgem.
If you want to have your say, the consultation deadline is 4th Feb 2019.
New era for UK solar?
Finally for this roundup, The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has recently unveiled a new ‘Smart Export Guarantee’. The idea is to make sure businesses are properly paid for power they export to the grid.
A consultation on exactly what will happen has been opened here, which closes in March. It explains: under the Smart Export Guarantee, the government would legislate for suppliers to remunerate small scale low carbon generators for the electricity they export to the grid.
This could be major news for businesses operating on site generation, or indeed considering the investment.
We will keep you posted on additional trending energy themes as we move through 2019.
