Executive Summary
Energy audits are a critical part of improving building performance, providing organisations with the insight needed to understand how energy is used across their estates and where inefficiencies may exist.
This guide outlines the key steps organisations should consider when approaching an energy audit, positioning it as part of a broader energy management and performance improvement strategy rather than a standalone compliance activity. It introduces how audits help establish a clearer picture of energy demand, identify areas of significant consumption, and support more informed decision-making around cost control, operational efficiency and carbon reduction.
As expectations around energy performance and sustainability continue to evolve, organisations are increasingly taking a more structured and data-led approach to managing building performance. Energy audits form a foundational element of this approach, helping to improve visibility, prioritise opportunities and support longer-term performance improvement across buildings and portfolios.
This short video provides an overview of the key themes covered in this guide, explaining how energy audits support improved building performance and more structured energy management across organisations.
Enhancing building performance goes hand-in-hand with improved energy efficiency, cost reduction, and progress towards an organisation’s sustainability goals.
A commercial energy audit will identify inefficiencies, providing steps to optimise systems and improving overall building performance. Richard Quigley, our Energy Consultant, looks at the top 10 things to include in an energy audit to maximise energy savings and building energy performance for your organisation.
1. Comprehensive Energy Consumption Analysis
A fundamental starting point is to understand energy use across your organisation. A professional audit will provide a breakdown of electricity, gas, water, and carbon emissions, evaluate consumption trends, and identify areas for efficiency improvements.
2. Benchmarking
Helping to set realistic goals and identify opportunities for cost savings, an energy audit will compare a building’s energy usage against similar facilities, or against industry standards.
3. Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Performance Review
Efficient heating and cooling systems are essential for energy conservation. Annual inspections and commercial building energy audits ensure HVAC systems – including boilers, heat pumps, ventilation, and cooling systems – are optimised and in turn, contributing to energy and carbon savings.
4. Lighting Systems Evaluation
Lighting contributes significantly to energy consumption. An energy survey can guide you in replacing outdated lighting with LED solutions and installing controls like sensors, solar balancing, or timed systems. An evaluation of your lighting can check whether it currently suits your building’s diverse needs, minimising energy wastage while improving user comfort.
5. Equipment and Asset Inventory Review
A detailed audit of office equipment, production machinery, and energy-intensive appliances highlights opportunities for smarter upgrades or replacements. Understanding what equipment is actually consuming energy is crucial before planning any savings, you might be surprised by what you find.
6. Smart Metering and Monitoring Enhancements
An assessment of a building’s metering to understand how energy usage is currently being tracked, particularly important in areas with multiple tenants or services. Integrating Monitoring & Targeting (M&T) improvements allows businesses to track energy consumption patterns, adjust usage behaviours accordingly, and highlight areas for improvement.
7. Thermal Imaging Assessment
Infrared thermography cameras can be used in several ways as part of an energy audit. Thermal imaging helps identify issues that are not easily visible, such as weaknesses in the physical barrier between the building’s interior and the external environment.
This includes walls, roofs, windows, doors, and insulation. The goal is to identify wasted heat from any issues such as air leaks, poor insulation, and moisture intrusion, which can lead to higher energy costs and reduced building performance. They can also be used to clearly illustrate issues to non-technical stakeholders, making it easy to visualise where energy is being wasted.
8. Evaluation of Water Usage
Although often overlooked, water usage can impact energy efficiency. Energy audits can help analyse water data to detect leaks, preventing damage and excessive waste, suggesting solutions to reduce usage and costs.
9. Renewable Energy Potential Assessment
Exploring green energy sources—like solar panels, biomass, or wind generation—can reduce dependency on fossil fuels, cut long term energy costs and support sustainability goals. An energy audit can assess the feasibility of renewable systems for your property, considering their long-term impact.
10. Strategic Action Plan Development
A professional energy audit that provides high level insights can support board level decision making, long-term strategic planning and create a comprehensive roadmap for improvements, prioritising cost-effective upgrades and long-term sustainability strategies.
An energy audit provides valuable insights into building performance and energy efficiency. By addressing these key areas, organisations can reduce costs, improve sustainability, and enhance operational effectiveness.
Read our Commercial Energy Audits: A Complete Guide for UK Organisations to gain a detailed understanding of energy audits.
Written by Richard Quigley – Energy Consultant, CertHE(Eng), MInstR
Richard is a Level 4 TM44 assessor with deep HVAC experience and brings 20+ years of HVAC and facilities experience to TM44 assessments that enhance compliance and operational efficiency.