The Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) is a new mandatory emissions trading scheme starting in April 2010. It
targets large public and private sector organisations and is intended to have a significant impact on reducing UK
carbon dioxide emissions.
Anyone participating in this scheme must monitor energy use and report on their equivalent carbon dioxide (CO2)
emissions and then purchase allowances, sold by Government, to cover these emissions each year. If you do not meet
your legal obligations under CRC you may be fined.
Who will it affect?
If your organisation meets the qualification criteria you will be obliged to register and participate in CRC.
Where an organisation is part of a wider corporate structure, the highest parent organisation or an alternative
nominated primary member must act as the participant on behalf of everyone in that group.
Your organisation must register under CRC if, during the 2008 calendar year, it:
- had at least one half-hourly electricity meter (HHM) settled on the half-hourly market, and
- consumed at least 6,000MWh of electricity on all HHMs.
When and how will I be required to register?
As a first step, in May-June 2009 the Regulators will write to all billing addresses where meters are settled on
the half-hourly market with advance notice of their potential obligations.
From September 2009 the Environment Agency will send out qualification packs providing details of the registration
process and of all electricity consumed through each settled half-hourly meter (HHM) during 2008. However,
organisations will also need to consider consumption through all other HHMs – those not settled on the half-hourly
market – in deciding whether they meet the threshold of 6,000MWh.
If your organisation meets the criteria as above you must register as a participant during a six-month window
from April 2010.
If your organisation had at least one HHM settled on the half-hourly market but used less than 6,000MWh you
will not have to take part, but you will be obliged to disclose the following information for 2008 to the
administrator:
- A list of all your HHMs settled on the half-hourly market.
- If using at least 3,000 MWh you must, when required to do so, provide details of the total annual consumption of half-hourly electricity. If using less than 3,000 MWh you must also indicate this, using an online form, which will be available on the Environment Agency website.
When and how will I be required to disclose this information?
- The qualification packs sent out from September 2009 will provide details of the information disclosure process. Organisations required to make an information disclosure will also be able to do so online via the Environment Agency website.
We offer a very cost effective hosted software solution to enable organisations to capture, record and report their
energy usage across different sites which also converts such data to CO2 emissions using the governments
conversion factors, saving you time and money.
Contact us for advice and help in measuring and reporting your carbon
emissions on 01275 774168 or via our contact form
