The Energy Bill Relief Scheme closed on 1 April 2023.

How the Energy Bill Relief Scheme will affect businesses.

The government's Energy Bills Discount Scheme (formally the Energy Bill Relief Scheme) ended on 31 March 2024.

The government announced (21 September) a new scheme that will see energy prices for non-domestic energy customers such as businesses, SME, charities and public sector organisations cut. The Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) will offer a unit price cap for all firms for six months from 1 October 2022. From 1 April 2023 the scheme will change to the Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS).

The government’s Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) will provide a cap on wholesale gas and electricity prices for all non-domestic customers whose current gas and electricity bills have been significantly inflated in light of global energy prices. This support will be equivalent to the Energy Price Guarantee put in place for households.

The government’s Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) will change from 1 April 2023. Under the new Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS), firms will get a discount on wholesale prices rather than costs being capped as under the current one. Heavy energy-using sectors, like glass, ceramics and steelmakers, will get a larger discount than others. The new scheme will run until the end of March 2024.

We're working with the government to implement the scheme, you do not need to apply for the EBRS or EBDS.

Who does the Energy Bill Relief Scheme apply to?

The EBRS applies to fixed contracts agreed on or after 1 December 2021 (government had previously announced 1 April 2022), as well as to deemed, variable and flexible tariffs and contracts. It will apply to energy usage from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023, running for an initial six-month period for all non-domestic energy users. The savings will be first seen in October bills, which are typically received in November. The EBRS scheme will change from 1 April 2023 and become the Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS).

The EBRS will apply to all non-domestic energy customers in England, Scotland and Wales. A parallel scheme, based on the same criteria and offering comparable support, will be established in Northern Ireland.

SME customers do not need to apply to the scheme or contact us. We will implement the changes set out by the government automatically to your E.ON Next account.

How the EBRS will work.

The government has set a Supported Wholesale Price – expected to be £211 per MWh for electricity and £75 per MWh for gas, less than half the wholesale prices anticipated this winter – which is a discounted price per unit of gas and electricity. It includes the removal of green levies paid by non-domestic customers who receive support under the scheme.

The level of price reduction for each business will vary depending on your contract type and circumstances:

Customers on existing fixed price contracts.

You'll be eligible for support as long as your contract was agreed on or after 1 December 2021 (government had previously announced 1 April 2022). Provided that the wholesale element of the price you're paying is above the Government Supported Price, your per unit energy costs will automatically be reduced by the relevant p/kWh for the duration of the scheme. Customers entering new fixed price contracts after 1 October will receive support on the same basis.

Customers on default, deemed or variable tariffs.

You'll receive a per-unit discount on energy costs, up to a maximum of the difference between the Government Supported Price and the average expected wholesale price over the period of the scheme. The amount of this 'maximum discount' is likely to be around £345/MWh for electricity and £91/MWh for gas, subject to wholesale market developments.

Non-domestic customers on default or variable tariffs will therefore pay reduced bills, but these will still change over time and may still be subject to price increases. This is why the government is working with suppliers like us to ensure all customers in England, Scotland and Wales are given the opportunity to switch to a fixed contract/tariff for the duration of the scheme if they wish, underpinned by the government’s Energy Bill Relief Scheme support.

Customers on flexible purchase contracts.

This is typically some of the largest energy-using businesses and the level of reduction offered will be calculated by suppliers according to the specifics of that company’s contract and will also be subject to the maximum discount.

If your bill cycle end date occurs in early October, you may receive a bill which does not include the government supported wholesale price reduction. This is due to the bill being produced prior to the introduction of the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. However, you will still receive a discount in your next bill that will be retrospectively applied to your energy usage from 1 October, 2022 until the end bill date. Please continue to pay your bill in accordance with your contractual terms, and the discount will be automatically added to your next bill; you do not have to take any action.

We're working with the government on the finer detail of how the EBRS will affect our non-domestic customers. We will update this page when more detailed information becomes available from the government. Customers do not need to apply for the EBRS as we will implement it automatically.

To learn more about how your data is protected visit the government’s EBRS page.