UK Energy Support Scheme for Businesses in NI
The details of the UK Energy Support scheme for businesses in NI has been published today.
You can read the details at Energy Bill Relief Scheme: help for businesses and other non-domestic customers (Northern Ireland) - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/energy-bill-relief-scheme-help-for-businesses-and-other-non-domestic-customers-northern-ireland
Highlights:
The discounts will be automatically to energy usage initially between 1 October 2022 and 31 March 2023.
The scheme will be available to everyone on a non-domestic contract including:
Businesses
voluntary sector organisations, such as charities
public sector organisations such as schools, hospitals and leisure centres
For all of the above, the support is available to those:
on existing fixed price contracts that were agreed on or after 1 December 2021
signing new fixed price contracts
on variable ‘day ahead’ tariffs
on deemed/out of contract or standard variable tariffs
on flexible purchase contracts
As for the domestic consumer support package, this support applies to those using electricity and gas. The guidance does state that ‘Comparable support will also be provided for non-domestic consumers who use heating oil or alternative fuels instead of gas. Further detail on this will be announced shortly’.
For all non-domestic energy users in Northern Ireland this government supported price has been set at:
£211 per megawatt hour (MWh) for electricity and
£75 per MWh for gas
NOTE: If you signed your fixed rate contract before 1 December 2021, you would not have been exposed to the recent rises in wholesale prices, so you will not be eligible for support under the scheme. This support package only applies to fixed rate contracts signed after 1 December 2021, as it was from that point the more drastic wholesale price rises have taken effect. If you signed your fixed rate contract before 1 December 2021 you will not be eligible for support under this scheme.
Review of the Scheme - The UK Government will publish a review into the operation of the scheme in 3 months’ time, to inform decisions on future support after March 2023. The review will focus in particular on identifying the most vulnerable non-domestic customers and how the government will continue assisting them with energy costs. These are likely to be those who are least able to adjust, for example by reducing energy usage or increasing energy efficiency.
The review will consider:
how effective the scheme has been in giving support to vulnerable non-domestic customers
which groups of non-domestic customers (by sector, size or geography) remain particularly vulnerable to energy price rises, taking into account the latest price position and forward curves, alongside other cost pressures
how to continue supporting these customers – either by extending the existing scheme for some users, or replacing with a different scheme
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