During the energy crisis, various schemes were introduced by the government to support businesses, charities and the public sector with their energy bills. We take a look back on previous schemes that supported heat network customers, and what happens next:
EBRS Energy Bill Relief Scheme: 01/11/2022 – 31/03/2023
For all eligible supplies (including Landlord’s gas and electricity supplies), an automatic reduction would have applied to the qualifying energy bills during the applicable period. No registration required.
The discount was in p/kWh and was a considerable amount, although the reduction would vary across different tariffs and contracts. For more information, please visit the government website
EBDS Energy Bill Discount Scheme: 01/04/2023 – 31/03/2024
This scheme took over the EBRS on 01/04/2023 and ran until 31/03/2024. For all eligible supplies, a baseline discount would have provided some support to businesses. As with the EBRS, this discount was automatically added to qualifying energy bills by the supplier.
Further support was provided to Heat Network customers. To obtain this support, the heat supplier would have been required to apply for the discount. The final deadline to apply for the discount was 31/03/2024. This was a legal requirement for all heat networks, whether they feel they are eligible or not, and fines may apply if this was not completed. For more information, please visit the government website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/energy-bills-discount-scheme
What happens next?
Heat suppliers should continue to pay their energy bills as normal. If it is confirmed that their heat network is eligible for further discount, the energy supplier will backdate this to 01/04/2023 and amend the charges accordingly, taking into account any payments that have been made.
Once the heat supplier has received their discount, they are required to pass this onto end users within 30 days. Please visit this link for more information on passthrough requirements – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pass-through-requirements-for-energy-price-support-provided-to-intermediaries/guidance-on-the-energy-bill-relief-scheme-pass-through-requirements-for-heat-networks
There are currently no replacement schemes lined up following the end of the EBDS, as wholesale prices continued to settle last year. Data Energy remains focused on keeping uptodate with the latest energy news, and always happy to process any relevant schemes on behalf of our clients and their residents.