We wanted to provide you with an update on the Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS), which was announced earlier this year by the UK government. As you may know, EBDS is expected to replace the Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) from 1 April 2023 and will run for 12 months, where the new scheme is set to come into force on 26 April 2023.

We’ve listed more information about the update on EBDS and the Energy and Trade Intensive Industries (ETII) discount below.

What is the EBDS Scheme?

The EBDS is a scheme created by the UK government to provide discounts on energy bills for eligible non-domestic customers in Great Britain. Once the new legalisation has been approved, discounts will be applied from 1 April 2023. The scheme comprises three different parts:

1. Baseline Discount

This discount will provide eligible non-domestic customers with an energy discount automatically applied to invoices.

2. Energy and Trade Intensive Industries (ETII) Discount

This will provide a higher level of discount to businesses in qualifying sectors. Customers will need to register to receive this discount.

3. Heat Network Discount

This will offer a higher level of discount to heat networks with domestic end users. Customers will need to register to receive this discount.

Additional Support for ETII

The new scheme offers non-domestic customers operating primarily in sectors identified by the government as the most energy and trade-intensive with a higher level of discount. For businesses that may be eligible for the ETII discount, you will need to provide:

• Organisation information
• Name of energy supplier
• Relevant energy supply contract references (such as your account number)
• Meter point references (MPANs and MPRNs)

We encourage you to check your eligibility on the government website, here.

Portal Opening Date

The government will be opening a digital portal to apply for the higher discount in the near future. We are aware that the portal opening date is still uncertain at this time, and we will keep you informed as soon as we have more definitive information.

Application Process

It is important to note that businesses will have three months from the scheme’s opening date to apply for the higher discount. The government will determine eligibility based on the application, and may require additional information, such as Companies House information and eligibility for other support schemes, to validate eligibility.