The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme requires all public and private sector organisations in Northern Ireland regardless of size, sector or number of employees which had at least one half-hourly electricity meter during calendar year 2008 to register or make an information disclosure with the Environment Agency (EA) in Great Britain by 30 September 2010.
In Northern Ireland there are a large number of organisations with half hourly meters where the usage falls well below the qualification criteria, but these organisations still need to make an information disclosure.
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Northern Ireland -based organisations with a parent company based elsewhere need to make an information disclosure or ensure that they are included with their parent company's registration.
The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme will act as an incentive to improve energy efficiency and will help large private and public sector organisations generate cost savings through reduced energy bills.
These savings should exceed the cost of participating. Organisations will need to monitor their emissions and purchase allowances equivalent to the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) they emit. The more CO2 an organisation emits, the more allowances it will need to purchase, so there is a direct incentive to reduce emissions.
Whether your organisation qualifies as a participant in the scheme and what you need to do depends on your organisation's electricity consumption during 2008. Guidance on qualification is available from the Environment Agency website: www.environment-agency.gov.uk/crc
The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme does not apply to sole traders.
The registration process is straightforward and should only take 30 minutes to complete. Registration is available online and can be accessed through the Environment Agency Website.
The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme is mandatory therefore any organisation who meets the criteria for registration but doesn’t sign up will risk an automatic penalty.
(GK)
