The publication on “The Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme – and What it Means to Your Fleet” can be downloaded from gedrivertoolbox.com in time for The Environment Agency’s 31st December qualification date.

Gary Killeen, managing director, GE Capital Fleet Services, said: ‘As the majority of fleets will know by now, the EU legislation behind ESOS means that most employers of a medium size company and above must undertake a formal energy audit every four years.

‘In itself, the task is not complicated however it does require a degree of organisation and a thorough understanding of what is required. The new guide provides an informative overview that should make meeting ESOS requirements easier for most fleets.’

Killeen added that the guide had been created by GE’s Key Solutions fleet consultancy team, who is currently helping major clients look at how ESOS may affect them, plan accordingly and then put energy audit processes in place.

He said: ‘There are quite stiff penalties for fleets who fail to comply with fines of up to £50,000. Offending organisations will also be publicly named, meaning there is potential reputational damage. Because of this, fleets are keen to ensure that they are meeting ESOS requirements correctly, with our help and support.

‘The December deadline is now just a couple of months away so any fleets that have not started to look in detail at how they will handle ESOS need to act very quickly indeed.’