However, because of the economic downturn, orders fell and the owner cut production capacity, so that the credit for energy savings could not go entirely to the ESCO. Unfortunately the two sides lacked any common basis for compromise. Because of all the possible complications that exist, details have to be clearly thrashed out in advance, otherwise disputes could quickly turn into "it's just your word against mine" stalemates.
例如某家 ESCO 公司為業主進行了預估可節省 20 % 電費的換裝工程，但其後業主就因景氣不佳、訂單減少而降低產能，因此堅持節能的「功勞」不能全算在 ESCO 上，但雙方又缺乏合理切割的依據而陷入各說各話的爭議。