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Page Last Updated - 24/01/2023

We have established this page to provide regular updates for our customers and partners as the UK Government addresses the energy crisis this winter under the Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) and the Energy Bill Discount Scheme (EBDS).

The government have announced a new Energy Bill Discount Scheme (EBDS) that will replace the existing Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS). This will come into effect from 1st April to 31st March 2024. 

Further information around the scheme can be found in the EBDS guidance and updates and provided by BEIS. We will continue to work closely with the Government to ensure our customers receive the applicable benefits of the schemes and update this page with more information as needed.

> Download our EBRS Customer Information Guide

Under the Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS), eligible customers will receive a discount on their gas and electricity unit prices, calculated by comparing the estimated wholesale portion of the unit price that would be paid this winter against a baseline ‘Government supported price’.

We’ve summarised the key information below:

  • For all non-domestic energy users in Great Britain the Government supported price has been set at £211/MWh (21.1p/kWh) for electricity and £75/MWh (7.5p/kWh) for gas
  • For eligible customers, discounts will be applied for a six-month period for energy usage between the 1st October 2022 and 31st March 2023
  • The scheme applies to all businesses, charities and public sector customers who are:
  • On a fixed price contract, signed on or after the 1st December 2021
  • On deemed/out of contract or variable tariffs
  • On a flexible contract
  • Support in the form of a p/kWh discount will be automatically applied to eligible customers’ bills
    (Please be mindful of illegitimate claims and/or scams if you receive any communications from 3rd parties offering services to apply for the scheme, especially those requesting bank details)
  • Exclusions: Businesses using gas or electricity for the purpose of generating power that they are selling back into the grid are excluded from the EBRS. 

Further information around the scheme can be found in the policy documents published by BEIS on the 1st November, covering the EBRS rules and guidance in detail. 

We continue to update our FAQs below and encourage customers to refer to this page to answer any initial questions they may have about the scheme.

  • 1. What do I need to do?

    You do not need to apply to the scheme or contact us. For eligible customers, we will automatically apply the discount set out by the Government, starting from your October invoice, which will be issued in November. Customers should be aware of their obligations under the legislative guidance in relation to anti-abuse of the Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) by referring to the BEIS policy documents here

  • 2. How will the discount appear on my bill?

    The discount applied will be in pence per kilowatt hour (p/kWh) and will be shown separately on the bill so that it is clearly visible to the customer. This will be applied to eligible customers' October consumption bill, typically issued in early November.

  • 3. How will the discount be applied to Fixed contracts?

    For eligible fixed contracts, agreed on or after 1st December 2021, the discount will be the difference between the government supported price & the relevant wholesale price for the day the contract was agreed except when that takes the rate below the government supported price in which case it is the difference between the government supported price and the retail unit rate.

  • 4. How will the discount be applied to my flexible supply contract?

    BEIS have stated that for eligible customers on a flexible purchase contract, the price reduction will depend on the difference between the Government supported price and the weighted average price (WAP) of locked and unlocked hedges. The maximum support available per unit of energy will also be limited by the maximum discount.

  • 5. How will the discount be applied to Deemed / Out of Contract Rates?

    The applied discount is based on BEIS' published value subject to a Maximum discount of 34.5p/kWh and the Retail Unit Rate not falling below the Floor price of 21.1p/kWh.

    This discount application has been our approach for October consumption bills. It is subject to change for the remainder of the winter period, following the outcome of ongoing discussions with BEIS.

  • 6. Does the EBRS apply to renewable projects?

    There will be limited exclusions to the EBRS. Where a customer uses energy for the purpose of generating or storing electricity to be Grid-Delivered, the gas or electricity so used will not be eligible for discounts under the EBRS Schemes.

  • 7. Is there a separate discount for green levies?

    In setting the discount that customers receive under the EBRS, the government has taken green levies into consideration and embedded this into the support, so there is no separate discount. Therefore, where customers’ bills currently have a charge for green levies, they will continue to see this charge on their bills.

  • 8. Can I opt out of the scheme?

    Yes, most customers can ‘opt-out’ of the discounts being applied. A customer may subsequently withdraw an opt-out notice, but this cannot take effect before the date when the notice of the withdrawal is given. Please contact us if you wish to opt out (Restrictions apply).

  • 9. I am on a flexible contract and use financial instruments for hedging activities, do I need to do anything?

    Customers on a flexible contract who use financial instruments for hedging activities should be aware of their obligations under the legislative guidance and advise SmartestEnergy of the use of financial instruments and any subsequent benefit, for the discount to be adjusted. This applies if the energy supplied at the premises to which the Supply Contract relates in the 12-month period starting from 1 October 2022 will exceed 0.5 gigawatt hours or the maximum rate at which energy is suppled under the contract at any time will exceed 0.5 megawatts.

  • 10. Are Park Home residents eligible for support?

    Ofgem has published guidance on how Park Home residents can apply for support with their energy bills. This information can be found on the Ofgem website here.

As a Supplier, SmartestEnergy Limited will provide data to the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) under the Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS). The EBRS supports businesses and may capture personal data for small or micro businesses, for example, those who are operating businesses as self-employed and not operating as a limited company.

For full details of this processing activity, the relevant BEIS Privacy Notice can be found here and the SmartestEnergy Privacy Notice can be found here.

Want to know more?

To keep up to date with UK Government plans, you can view the latest news via these national and industry media sources:

Need to reach us?

  • Small and medium business customers – SmartestEnergy Business Limited: If you have any questions about your existing contract, please await further information and visit this page for regular updates
  • I&C Customers – SmartestEnergy Limited: If you have any questions about your existing contract, please contact your dedicated Account Manager or Customer Services Executive
  • Smart Generation Customers – SmartestEnergy Limited: If you have any questions about your existing contract, please contact your dedicated Account Manager or Customer Services Executive