ISO 50001:2018 Energy Management
ISO 50001 benefits for your business
An ISO 50001 certificate shows customers and buyers that you measure your energy use and work to reduce it. Inside the company, the requirements give you a clear picture of where the energy goes and what it costs. With Zertify you get the certificate online, without an on-site audit.
01: Overview
What does an ISO 50001 certificate bring a business?
ISO 50001:2018 sets the requirements for an energy management system. You analyse your energy use, identify the big consumers and keep improving your energy efficiency. The certificate is the proof that you do this.
The benefits fall into five areas. Some show up on the invoice, others in the supplier questionnaire.
- Lower energy costs
- Once you know which machines, buildings or vehicles use the most energy, you can start with the largest savings.
- Answers for customers
- Energy and sustainability questions in supplier questionnaires can be answered with a certificate number instead of a long explanation.
- Tender documents
- Where a tender asks for an energy management certificate, you can hand it in with the offer.
- Fewer surprises
- Documented responsibilities and regular monitoring make energy costs easier to plan.
- A claim you can show
- The PDF carries a QR code that leads to a public verification page. Anyone can check that the certificate exists.
02: Efficiency
How does ISO 50001 lower energy costs inside the company?
The certificate does not reduce your bill. The work behind it does. The standard forces you to do what many businesses postpone: measure first, then decide where to invest.
The table shows the main requirements and what each one means in daily operation.
| Requirement | What you do | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Energy baseline | Record your energy use over a defined period | A reference point to measure every later saving against |
| Significant energy uses | Identify the machines, systems and buildings that consume the most | Clear priorities for your budget |
| Energy performance indicators | Define figures such as kWh per unit produced or per square metre | Comparable numbers from month to month |
| Objectives and action plans | Set targets with owners and deadlines | Savings projects that actually get done |
| Procurement | Take energy efficiency into account when buying equipment and services | Lower running costs for new purchases |
| Monitoring and improvement | Check results regularly and adjust | A system that keeps improving after the certificate is issued |
For a manufacturer, a logistics company or a facility service provider, the significant energy uses are often a short list. Starting with that list is usually enough to find the first measures.
03: Customers and tenders
Does an ISO 50001 certificate help in tenders and supplier checks?
Purchasing departments send the same questions to every supplier. Do you have an energy management system? Can you prove it? A certificate with a verification link answers both questions in one line of the questionnaire.
In a tender, the certificate can support your offer where energy management is asked for or scored. Read the tender wording before you rely on it. Some buyers require an on-site audit by a certification body, others accept a certificate that is publicly verifiable and confirmed every year.
Large customers also run their own supplier audits. If your energy baseline, indicators and action plans are already documented, the audit takes less preparation.
04: Risk
Which risks does an energy management system reduce?
Energy prices change, and a business that does not track its consumption feels every change without knowing why. An energy management system does not set the price, but it shows how exposed you are.
- Cost risk
- With a baseline and indicators, you see quickly when consumption rises and can look for the cause.
- Dependence on single people
- Responsibilities, objectives and procedures are written down. Knowledge about the energy supply does not leave with one employee.
- Weak investment decisions
- Replacing a compressor or a heating system is easier to justify when you know its share of total consumption.
- Unprepared customer audits
- Documented evidence is at hand when a customer asks about your energy performance.
05: Marketing
How do you use the certificate and the verification link?
A certificate only helps when the people who decide can see it. These are the places where it works best.
Attach the PDF to quotes
Add the certificate to offers and tender submissions so the buyer does not have to ask for it.
Print the QR code
The code on the PDF leads to the verification page. A buyer checks the certificate number in seconds.
Link the verification page
Put the link on your website, in your email signature or in the supplier portal of a large customer.
Mention it in the questionnaire
Enter the certificate number wherever a questionnaire asks about energy management.
Report your progress
Use your energy indicators in sustainability reports and customer conversations. Numbers carry more weight than a logo.
06: With Zertify
How does Zertify fit in?
Zertify issues the ISO 50001 certificate online. You answer 32 yes/no questions. 13 of them are mandatory requirements of the standard and must all be answered yes. Among the other 19 you need at least 13 yes answers. SICE reviews every assessment, and G6 Agency AG issues the certificate under licence from SICE within 4 hours after you pass and pay.
The price is CHF 749 (€749) in the first year, then CHF 499 (€499) per year including the yearly online re-audit. The certificate is valid for 3 years. The yearly subscription renews automatically and you can cancel it at any time to the end of the current year in your customer account. Prices include 8.1% Swiss VAT for customers in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. You do not need an account to buy.
Holding two standards gives you 20% off, three or more 30%, also on the yearly fee.
07: FAQ
Questions about ISO 50001 benefits
08: Guide
Related pages
Find out whether you meet ISO 50001
Answer 32 yes/no questions and see right away whether you pass.
Free and without registration.