European Restructuring Monitor (ERM)
Eurofound's ERM database on restructuring-related legal regulations provides information on regulations in the Member States of the European Union and Norway which are explicitly or implicitly linked to anticipating and managing change.
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The Energy Efficiency Act is the implementation of the EED of the Republic of Austria and was first promulgated in 2014 in the Federal Law Gazette (BGBl. I No. 72/2014). On June 15, 2023, the simple-law amendment (BGBl. I No. 59/2023) entered into force.
Austria's energy consumption has to be reduced to 920 PJ by 2030 under the energy efficiency act. In the years 2021 to 2030, Austria undertakes to achieve cumulative final energy savings of at least 650 PJ, i.e. taking into account their effective duration in this period. The cumulative final energy savings are to be achieved primarily through energy efficiency measures by the federal government, such as subsidy programs.
Companies that supply electricity, natural gas, heating or cooling to end consumers on the basis of a continuing obligation are required to set up telephone contacts and offices for free advice on energy consumption, energy savings, energy costs and energy price developments as soon as threshold values are exceeded. The EEffG also provides for a coordination office to combat energy poverty.
The energy efficiency act requires large companies and energy suppliers to undertake energy audits. Such obligation is based on the size of each company or corporate group. A large company is defined by having at least 250 employees or a turnover of at least EUR 50 Mio as well as at least EUR 43 Mio of total assets.
Large companies are obliged to undertake energy audits every four years under the energy efficiency act. Companies can conduct either an external energy audit or implement an intra-nationally recognised management system (i.e. energy or environmental management system). Audits have to cover the areas of buildings, transport, and processes, if an area exceeds 10% of total energy consumption. Energy audits shall be conducted by an approved auditor. External auditors have to be listed in a public register.
Regardless of whether a large company decides to carry out an external audit or implement a suitable management system, in principle it can switch to the other option during the commitment period.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can consult an energy advice service and report the contents and findings to the national energy efficiency monitoring agency.
The federal government commits itself to improving energy efficiency. Each federal agency must appoint professionally qualified persons to regularly monitor the energy consumption of the respective federal agencies. The federal energy consultants, in turn, compile the information collected and must prepare energy reports based on this information. In addition, the federal government, together with the Federal Real Estate Company, undertakes to save 1,320 TJ of energy between 2021 and 2030.
Results of the first obligation period were published in October 2016, with 59% of the large companies choosing the external energy audit and 41% implementing an energy or environmental management system. Out of the 41% which have chosen a management system, 47% of the companies conducted the international environmental management system according to ISO 14001, and 41% of the companies opted for the energy management system according to ISO 50001.
In 2020, a total of 2,059 large companies reported to the monitoring agency. 1,207 of them have opted for an external audit, whereas 682 companies made use of an internal energy or environmental management system.
Eurofound (2021), Austria: Obligation to undertake energy efficiency audits, Restructuring legislation database, Dublin, https://apps.eurofound.europa.eu/legislationdb/obligation-to-undertake-energy-efficiency-audits/austria
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