The Energy Bill Relief Scheme (Non-Standard Cases) Regulations 2023

Type Statutory-Instrument
Publication 2023-01-10
Last updated 2023-04-26
State In force
Department King's Printer of Acts of Parliament
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Made: 10th January 2023

Laid before Parliament: 11th January 2023

Coming into force: 12th January 2023

The Secretary of State makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 19, 26(2)(a) and (b) and (9), and 27(2)(b) of the Energy Prices Act 2022[^f00001].

PART 1 — Introductory

Citation, commencement and extent

1

Interpretation

2

In these Regulations—

PART 2 — Relevant agreements

Interpretation of this Part

3

In this Part, “relevant agreement” means an agreement or other arrangement between——

in connection with the provision of relevant energy, or services relating to the provision of relevant energy.

Duty of relevant persons to provide information to the Secretary of State

4

Implied terms

5

Y undertakes to repay to X, or to the Secretary of State, at X’s request, the relevant amount;

PART 3 — Pass-through Requirement

Interpretation of this Part

6

In this Part—

Pass-through requirement

7

Calculation of pass-through amount

8

a pass-through amount is just and reasonable for the purposes of regulation 7(2) if the relevant intermediary applies the same approach, as the case may be, to calculate the pass-through amount for each end user on this basis.

Provision of information to end users

9

Effecting the pass-through

10

or a combination of the methods set out in this paragraph, as appropriate.

Enforcement

11

Signed

Graham Stuart — Minister of State for Climate — Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy — 10th January 2023

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These Regulations make provision about the Energy Bill Relief Scheme for Non-Standard Customers in Great Britain and Northern Ireland (“the Scheme”) by which the Secretary of State provides certain non-domestic customers with financial assistance to meet costs related to the use of electricity and gas. Assistance is provided under “scheme agreements”, that incorporate published “Scheme Terms”. Amongst other things, the Scheme Terms set out the criteria that customers, and the energy that they consume, must meet if they are to receive assistance.

Regulation 2 introduces a number of defined terms that reflect the operation of the Scheme.

Regulations 3 and 4 provide the Secretary of State with a power to obtain information about the supply of gas or electricity to persons who are or may be eligible for assistance under the Scheme.

Regulation 5 implies terms into certain descriptions of contract connected with the provision of energy to persons who are or may be eligible for assistance under the Scheme.

These Regulations also make provision for pass-through requirements in relation to the Scheme. Pass-through requirements are imposed on a “relevant intermediary” (defined in regulation 6) and establish that they must pass-through the benefits of the scheme to an “end user” to whom energy, heating and/or hot water has been made available. These Regulations apply in respect of relevant intermediaries other than those providing certain types of hospitality accommodation (defined as “excluded persons” under these Regulations).

Regulation 7 establishes the requirement for relevant intermediaries to pass-through a just and reasonable amount of the benefit provided to them under the Scheme to each of their end users.

Regulation 8 provides for the calculation of the pass-through amount and sets out the way in which relevant intermediaries are to determine what is a just and reasonable amount for the purposes of regulation 7.

Regulation 9 sets out the information which relevant intermediaries are required to provide to each of their end users about the scheme benefit provided to them, the amount or proportion the relevant intermediary intends to provide to the end user, and supporting details about how they have calculated that this is a just and reasonable amount.

Regulation 10 makes provision about the way in which the pass-through is to be given effect including that it must be provided to the end user as soon as reasonably practicable after the scheme benefit has been provided to the relevant intermediary.

Regulation 11 provides for unpaid pass-through amounts to be recoverable from the relevant intermediary by the end user as a civil debt.

An impact assessment of the effect the Scheme, including the related pass-through requirements, will have on the costs of business and the voluntary sector is available from the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy, 1 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0ET.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 2022 c. 44.

[^f00002]: See also regulation 2(1) of S.I. 2022/1106, made under section 12(4).

[^f00003]: See also regulation 2(1) of S.I. 2022/1106, made under section 12(7).

[^f00004]: 1989 c. 29. Section 64 has been amended, but the definition of “electric line” contained in it has not.

[^f00005]: See https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-bill-relief-scheme-non-standard-cases. A hard copy may be obtained from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, 1 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0ET.

[^f00006]: 1986 c. 44. Section 7 was substituted by section 5 of the Gas Act 1995 (c. 45) and amended by sections 3(2) and 76 of the Utilities Act 2000 (c. 27); there are other amendments, but they are not relevant.

[^f00007]: The documents comprising the Uniform Network Code are accessible on the website of the Joint Office of Gas Transporters at https://www.gasgovernance.co.uk/UNC (their postal address is Radcliffe House, Blenheim Court, Warwick Road, Solihull, B91 2AA; their email address is enquiries@gasgovernance.co.uk). The current version of General Terms, Section B is available at https://www.gasgovernance.co.uk/index.php/general; implemented modifications to the code may be accessed from https://www.gasgovernance.co.uk/closedmods.

[^f00008]: 1989 c. 29. Section 6(1)(b) was substituted by section 136(1) of the Energy Act 2004 (c. 20).

[^f00009]: The Balancing and Settlement Code is accessible on the website of Elexon Limited at https://www.elexon.co.uk/bsc-and-codes/ (their postal address is 4th Floor, 350 Euston Road London NW1 3AW; their email address is bscservicedesk@cgi.com).

[^f00010]: 1988 c.36.

[^f00011]: Defined in s. 28(4) of the Energy Prices Act 2022.

[^f00012]: 1983 c. 34. Section 5 was amended by sections 318 and 321(1) of, and Schedule 16 to the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 (c. 17).

[^f00013]: 2011 c. 12 (N.I.).

[^f00014]: “energy price support” is defined in s.19(4) of the Act.

[^f00015]: 1998 c. 11.

Editorial notes

[^key-40a6f9c8ebd7d2534daa4dd838505edf]: Reg. 1 in force at 12.1.2023, see reg. 1(1)

[^key-41f85db7b4015aca34afd58f2ddc520b]: Reg. 2 in force at 12.1.2023, see reg. 1(1)

[^key-c11d0ebe4f66e350fbf2fd75cb0d54e4]: Reg. 3 in force at 12.1.2023, see reg. 1(1)

[^key-e0893e57b180c5fe78c39d2018cb10c0]: Reg. 4 in force at 12.1.2023, see reg. 1(1)

[^key-c0902884a8b51515a904ec721f113b60]: Reg. 5 in force at 12.1.2023, see reg. 1(1)

[^key-bb316e63602a511ad9581e1748d0df5b]: Reg. 6 in force at 12.1.2023, see reg. 1(1)

[^key-6e283d69fd4cdeef76b5891120255788]: Reg. 7 in force at 12.1.2023, see reg. 1(1)

[^key-9f1cce900fea0f83c177f41f0d918474]: Reg. 8 in force at 12.1.2023, see reg. 1(1)

[^key-c75d4c7c1ffe37e980e14b3f6f6a47ac]: Reg. 9 in force at 12.1.2023, see reg. 1(1)

[^key-9e969df0e53a56a9639ef16a03df98a3]: Reg. 10 in force at 12.1.2023, see reg. 1(1)

[^key-9c0d78c66ddc8ae11f80407338beb56e]: Reg. 11 in force at 12.1.2023, see reg. 1(1)

[^key-6b57933da4f69523fc070914ac858bdc]: Words in reg. 2 inserted (26.4.2023) by The Energy Bills Discount Scheme (Non-Standard Cases) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/464), regs. 1(2), 16

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