On this page
- Choose the correct published document
- Define the audit boundary and expected decision
- Example: a manufacturer considering a new production schedule
- Select companion parts for the actual activity
- Keep an audit and an energy management system distinct
- Common questions
- Primary sources and edition check
- Explore more standards buying guides
The verified purchase is EN 16247-1:2022, Energy audits — Part 1: General requirements. Genorma identifies the 2012 edition as withdrawn, and BSI lists the 2022 adoption as current. Include the part number and edition in the quotation request so that a provider’s older methodology is not accepted without explanation. Published European product and history; BSI current adoption.
Choose the correct published document
Define the audit boundary and expected decision
The public scope covers requirements, common methodology and deliverables for energy audits across establishments, organisations, energy forms and energy uses. It distinguishes the general requirements from specific requirements for buildings, industrial processes and transport in other parts. Published scope.
For procurement, describe the activities and the decisions the report should inform. State which locations, equipment or transport operations are included and what information you can supply. A clear objective helps the auditor explain the required investigation rather than pricing an undefined search for savings across the entire business.
| Decision area | Question for each bidder |
|---|---|
| Audit boundary | Which sites, operations and energy uses are included or excluded? |
| Available data | What records are assumed to exist and what needs further collection? |
| Investigation work | What visits, discussions and supporting analysis are included? |
| Decision-ready output | How will opportunities, assumptions and uncertainties be explained? |
| Next steps | Which recommendations need a separate design, quotation or investigation? |
Example: a manufacturer considering a new production schedule
Imagine a manufacturer that is changing working hours while reviewing heating and production equipment. One auditor proposes analysing the past year’s bills. Another proposes discussing the planned operating changes and investigating the energy uses most affected. The company needs to decide whether it wants a historical overview or evidence for the new operating decision.
The buyer could ask each bidder to explain how it would distinguish existing operation from the proposed schedule. What information is available, which assumptions would be made and how would the report show the limits of the estimate? This is an original procurement scenario, not a prediction of savings or a technical method for calculating an energy measure’s performance.
Select companion parts for the actual activity
The general Part 1 framework is supplemented by parts dedicated to buildings, processes and transport. BSI’s catalogue lists the 2022 publications in those areas and a separate document concerning auditor competence. Use the actual audit scope to select the supporting library, rather than assuming Part 1 is the only document needed for every engagement. Publisher’s series information.
If the site includes offices, industrial activity and a vehicle operation, ask the provider which parts it will use for each activity and how it will coordinate the resulting evidence. A combined report can be useful, but its boundary and assumptions still need to be clear. Check the exact referenced publications in the licensed text and the agreed service specification.
Keep an audit and an energy management system distinct
For an ongoing organisational energy management system, compare EN ISO 50001. For an organisational greenhouse-gas inventory, see EN ISO 14064-1. An energy audit, a maintained management system and an emissions inventory answer different purchasing questions.
Separate the audit fee from implementation costs. Ask whether the proposal includes follow-up discussions, whether additional investigations are charged separately and what the report will supply to later designers or suppliers. A recommendation is more useful when its evidential basis and unresolved questions are visible to the person making the investment decision.
Common questions
Is the 2012 edition the current purchase?
The checked European lifecycle identifies its 2022 replacement. If a legacy engagement names 2012, discuss and record that edition basis rather than treating it as the latest publication.
Does an audit guarantee a particular saving?
Ask the provider to describe its evidence, assumptions and deliverables. The purchase of a framework or audit does not justify an invented saving for your site.
Does this page establish a national legal audit obligation?
This is a document-selection guide. Any legal obligation or acceptance condition for your organisation requires a separate check of the applicable rules and the intended service.
Primary sources and edition check
- Genorma: published 2022 general requirements and withdrawn predecessor
- BSI: current 2022 adoption and audit scope
Publication and purchase records checked on 7 October 2026. The examples and procurement questions are original guidance. Detailed implementation requires the applicable licensed text and decisions for the actual project.
Explore more standards buying guides
Browse standards by reference and subject to compare related document choices.