DESNZ: Support for energy and trade intensive businesses
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) have announced that applications have now opened for energy and trade intensive sectors to apply for further discounts on their bills. This is to support businesses that are most affected by the unprecedented rise in global energy prices and the scheme will provide support from 1st April 2023 and 31st March 2024.
The offer is part of the government’s new Energy Bills Discount Scheme, launched this month, which will continue to automatically give businesses across the UK money off their energy bill. Heat network operators also able to apply for additional support to help protect their customers from higher bill
Heat networks with domestic customers can also now receive a new, sector-specific support rate to make sure households do not face disproportionately higher bills compared to customers supported by the Energy Price Guarantee. Heat suppliers will need to apply for this rate and are legally obligated to pass on the discount to their customers.
Energy and trade intensive businesses will need the following information and documentation to make their application for additional support for the Energy Bills Discount Scheme:
Their energy supplier name and metre numbers
A completed declaration document signed by a named director or equivalent of your organisation or business confirming the eligibility criteria for the scheme has been met
Businesses may also need to provide evidence to determine eligibility, such as:
Most recent full set of end-of-year accounts
An Income Statement referring to the same time period as the accounts
A sample of 20 sales invoices, no older than 12 months from the date of the signed declaration, which demonstrates activity that falls within an eligible sector
Licence or trade body membership details for regulated industries (if applicable)
For local authorities only - floor plans of the relevant property that show that 50% or more of your activities are in an eligible sector
A calculation showing that activities relating to eligible SIC codes, account for a minimum of 50% of your organisation’s revenue, reflecting the most recent accounts provided in your application
The scheme has also been expanded to include non-domestic customers who receive energy from licence-exempt suppliers where prices paid are pegged to wholesale energy prices.
