ISO 50001:2018 · clause 8.3
The energy balance is decided in purchasing, not in operations.
ISO 50001 explicitly requires suppliers to be informed that procurement is partly evaluated on the basis of energy performance – and that the evaluation actually happens.
The energy management standard starts from consumption, but purchasing sets the course. A motor, a pump or a plant determines far more energy cost across its life than the purchase price suggests.
Clause 8.3 therefore asks for two things that are often missing: suppliers must be told that energy performance is an award criterion, and the procurement of energy itself must be specified and evaluated. Neither is evidenced in an audit without documentation.
Who this concerns
- Manufacturers with significant energy use.
- Businesses running energy management for tax or subsidy reasons.
- Companies with efficiency target agreements.
- Suppliers to such businesses, who must provide energy data for their products.
What the standard requires
- 8.3
- Inform suppliers that procurement is partly evaluated on the basis of energy performance.
- 8.3
- Define criteria for evaluating energy use, consumption and efficiency over the planned operating lifetime.
- 8.3
- Specify the procurement of energy itself, where applicable.
- 8.2
- Consider energy performance when designing new or modified facilities.
- 9.1
- Monitor effectiveness and feed it into management review.
How SCRM covers it
Energy criterion in the scoring scheme
Held as its own criterion so it appears in every award.
Evidence of notification
That the supplier was informed is a requirement – and therefore a record with a date.
Product-level data
Consumption figures per article and supplier instead of datasheets on a drive.
Recurring evaluation
Energy metrics on the same cycle as the rest of supplier evaluation.
Frequently asked
Does this apply to every order?
No, only to procurement affecting significant energy use. That boundary is exactly what you should have defined and be able to justify.
How do we notify suppliers correctly?
A note in enquiry and order documents normally suffices. What matters is that it is documented rather than only spoken.
We hold ISO 14001. Is that enough?
The standards overlap, but 50001 sets more concrete requirements for energy criteria in procurement. The supplier data is the same; the criteria are not.