Independent buying guide
SECR reporting software
SECR reporting software should turn the applicable energy and emissions records into a traceable report pack that the reporting organisation can review and use.
Which SECR report must the software support?
Start with the reporting entity and legal route, because a generic carbon inventory does not establish that the required report fields are present.
| Reporting route | Output to demonstrate | Primary provision |
|---|---|---|
| Quoted company | The applicable global energy and emissions disclosures, with the UK and offshore proportion | Schedule 7 paragraph 15 |
| Unquoted company | Applicable energy, emissions, methods, ratio and comparative fields | Schedule 7 Part 7A |
| LLP | An energy and carbon report prepared through the LLP provisions | Regulation 12B |
What should SECR reporting software deliver?
Ask for a traceable report pack: the applicable energy and emissions figures, the reporting narrative and the records that explain them.
Module 01 / 04
Boundary
Identify the entities, activities, reporting period and territorial decisions before importing data.
Module 02 / 04
Calculations
Keep activity quantities, units, factors and the resulting emissions connected.
Module 03 / 04
Narrative
Show the methodology, intensity ratio and efficiency-measure fields in the export.
Module 04 / 04
Review
Keep the evidence, reviewer comments and approved version together.
Read the detailed guidance and evidence
Check SECR applicability before buying a platform, then map its export to paragraph 15, Part 7A or the LLP reporting provisions.
The SECR report template connects the applicable reporting route with its disclosure fields and a fictional worked calculation.
How do you test the report export?
Give every shortlisted supplier the same anonymised input pack and ask for the finished report fields as well as the dashboard.
| Test | Ask the supplier to show | Buying decision |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage | An entity and activity list with inclusions and exclusions explained | Does the export match the chosen reporting route? |
| Energy | The source unit, any conversion and the reported kWh | Can a reviewer follow a quantity back to its evidence? |
| Emissions | The factor source, version, unit and calculation | Can the calculation be reproduced outside the dashboard? |
| Delivery | Editable narrative and a reusable evidence export | Can the accounts preparer use the result without retyping it? |
What calculation controls matter?
Choose a system that makes its calculation choices inspectable and keeps a record when an input or factor changes.
Module 01 / 04
Activity
Keep each quantity beside the meter, bill, fuel record or estimate supporting it.
Module 02 / 04
Units
Make the relationship between original units and reporting units explicit.
Module 03 / 04
Factors
Record the publication year and the particular factor selected.
Module 04 / 04
Change record
Retain the previous value and the reason for a correction.
Read the detailed guidance and evidence
For an unquoted-company report, paragraph 20F requires the methodologies used to calculate the disclosed information, so the buying test should include a readable explanation rather than a total alone.
Which conversion-factor year should the demo use?
Use the reporting activity period to check the factor-year choice, then ask the supplier to retain the selected publication and any comparability explanation.
Which factor set applies · by the activity-data year
A check of the factor-year rule only.
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Read the detailed guidance and evidence
The 2026 methodology, paragraph 1.10, describes the factors as intended for activity data falling entirely or mostly within 2026.
This date helper checks calendar-year coverage rather than selecting a factor for a particular fuel or activity.
Can the software explain the numbers?
Ask the supplier to export the explanation alongside the figures, with an owner for each narrative field.
Module 01 / 04
Methods
Explain the calculation approach and significant estimation choices.
Module 02 / 04
Intensity
Identify both the emissions numerator and the chosen activity denominator.
Module 03 / 04
Efficiency
Record the measures taken during the reporting year, where there were any.
Module 04 / 04
Comparatives
Keep applicable prior-year information beside the current-year fields.
What does a useful demo look like?
A fictional company with several sites can use one corrected bill to test whether the supplier updates the figures and preserves the review trail.
| Fictional input | Exercise | Acceptance evidence |
|---|---|---|
| One site has a replacement electricity bill | Replace the original quantity without creating a duplicate record | A visible correction and a reconciled site total |
| A fuel record is estimated | Identify the estimate and explain its basis | The estimate remains visible in the evidence export |
| An intensity denominator changes | Recalculate using the documented denominator | An explanation of the change and the resulting ratio |
| The accounts preparer changes | Export the evidence and narrative | A new preparer can reproduce the sampled calculation |
What evidence should leave the platform?
Require an export that a different preparer can read and reconcile without retaining a software subscription.
Module 01 / 04
Inputs
Download source quantities with units, periods and record identifiers.
Module 02 / 04
Assumptions
Explain estimates, exclusions and allocation decisions.
Module 03 / 04
Method
Export factors and calculation choices in a usable format.
Module 04 / 04
Approval
Identify the reviewed output and unresolved issues.
Read the detailed guidance and evidence
A spreadsheet export can still fail the handover test if it contains only totals, so include a sample record and ask the next reviewer to trace it back to the source before signing the contract.
How should software costs be compared?
Compare written quotations against the same reporting workload and handover requirements, because a licence quote alone does not define the delivery cost.
| Cost heading | Clarify in the quotation | Question before signing |
|---|---|---|
| Licence scope | Entities, users, data volume and reporting modules | Which additions trigger a higher tier? |
| Implementation | Data migration, mappings, training and configuration | Who supplies and checks the opening data? |
| Reporting support | Preparation, review and corrections | Which tasks remain with the reporting organisation? |
| Exit | Download format, assistance and access period | Can the evidence pack be retrieved after cancellation? |
How do you compare suppliers fairly?
Score the same observable tasks for each supplier and record what was demonstrated, what was promised and what was unavailable.
Module 01 / 04
Task
Use the same reporting boundary and sample evidence for every demo.
Module 02 / 04
Result
Retain the actual export and note any manual work needed.
Module 03 / 04
Limitations
Write down unsupported fields, missing evidence and unresolved questions.
Module 04 / 04
Acceptance
Agree who checks the first completed reporting pack.
Read the detailed guidance and evidence
This is an editorial procurement method rather than a provider ranking, and a supplier claim should remain unverified until its demonstration or written specification supports it.
Do you need software, consultancy or both?
Buy software for a repeatable reporting workflow and use specialist advice where a boundary, methodology or reporting judgement still needs resolution.
| Need | Useful next step | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Broader carbon inventory | Define the inventory methodology and calculation scope | Carbon management software |
| Unresolved reporting judgement | Set a written advisory scope and deliverables | Sustainability reporting consultants |
| Data scattered across teams | Agree owners, collection controls and evidence requirements | Sustainability data management software |
Who owns the finished reporting pack?
Assign a named internal owner for the output, even where a supplier prepares the calculations or draft narrative.
Module 01 / 04
Data owners
Confirm the completeness and period of the submitted evidence.
Module 02 / 04
Preparer
Document calculations and draft the report fields.
Module 03 / 04
Reviewer
Resolve exceptions and check a sample against the evidence.
Module 04 / 04
Report owner
Approve the version that goes into the applicable report.
Read the detailed guidance and evidence
The reporting requirements concern the reporting organisation, so a software label is no substitute for checking the finished pack against the applicable route.
How can the first reporting cycle be organised?
Use this editorial sequence to agree the work before purchase and to test the first complete report before repeating the process.
- 101
Confirm scope
Check applicability, entity boundary and reporting period. - 202
Specify output
List the report fields and evidence exports needed. - 303
Prepare sample
Choose anonymised records with one estimate and one correction. - 404
Run demonstrations
Ask each supplier to complete the same tasks. - 505
Record gaps
Assign an owner and resolution for every missing field. - 606
Agree the contract
Set scope, support, acceptance and exit arrangements. - 707
Prepare the report
Reconcile the full period and explain methods and estimates. - 808
Review evidence
Trace sampled outputs back to the underlying records. - 909
Retain the handover
Save the approved output and reusable evidence pack.
What should you do before requesting a demo?
Write a one-page buying brief naming the reporting route, the first reporting period, the source records and the output the reviewer will accept.
Module 01 / 04
Reporting basis
Start with the applicable reporting requirements.
Module 02 / 04
Input pack
List the records already available and the gaps still to resolve.
Module 03 / 04
Acceptance
Describe a demonstrable finished report rather than a feature list.
Module 04 / 04
Next cycle
Specify how corrections, comparatives and a future handover will work.
Read the detailed guidance and evidence
Use the sustainability reporting standards guide to place SECR alongside the other reporting frameworks, then use carbon management software guidance to specify any broader inventory work separately.
Frequently asked
Questions people ask
What is SECR reporting software?
It is software used to collect energy data, calculate emissions and prepare the relevant SECR reporting output, with the required fields depending on the reporting route.
Is a carbon dashboard enough for SECR?
Check its actual export against the applicable reporting requirements, including narrative fields and supporting evidence, before accepting it as a finished reporting pack.
How much does SECR reporting software cost?
Request a written quotation for your entities, users, data, implementation, reporting support and exit requirements, since this guide does not establish a market-wide price.
Can a consultant prepare the report using software?
Yes, but agree who supplies the records, resolves reporting judgements, reviews the draft and receives the reusable evidence pack.
How should SECR software be compared?
Give shortlisted suppliers the same anonymised reporting task and retain the output, limitations, manual steps and written scope for comparison.
Which factor year should a software demonstration use?
Use the activity period to check the relevant annual factor publication and retain an explanation of the choice rather than selecting by filing date alone.
Sources
Primary sources
Primary provisions and official guidance read on 26 October 2026.
- legislation.gov.ukQuoted companies: Schedule 7 paragraph 15
- legislation.gov.ukUnquoted companies: Schedule 7 Part 7A
- legislation.gov.ukEnergy and emissions: paragraph 20D
- legislation.gov.ukMethodologies: paragraph 20F
- legislation.gov.ukIntensity ratio: paragraph 20G
- legislation.gov.ukComparative information: paragraph 20H
- legislation.gov.ukGroup reports: paragraph 20E
- legislation.gov.ukLLP energy and carbon report: regulation 12B
- UK GovernmentEnvironmental Reporting Guidelines
- DESNZGreenhouse gas reporting conversion factors 2026
- DESNZ2026 conversion factors methodology report
Continue reading
Read next
SECR applicability
Check whether the reporting requirements apply.
Carbon management software
Specify broader inventory and calculation work.
Sustainability data management software
Define collection, evidence and ownership controls.
Sustainability reporting consultants
Write an advisory scope for unresolved reporting judgements.