Energy Bill Relief Scheme Calculator
Check the support your supplier should have given youBetween October 2022 and March 2024 the government paid towards business energy bills through two schemes: the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, then the Energy Bills Discount Scheme. Your supplier was meant to take that support off your bills. Did they get it right?
Fill in your contract details for electricity, gas or both and we'll work out what your business should have received under each scheme, using the government's own wholesale prices for the day you signed. Your estimate shows on this page straight away, and a copy goes to our energy team so we can help if something doesn't add up.
Work out your estimate
Your estimate
This is an estimate for fixed contracts, before VAT and the Climate Change Levy. It uses the government's reference wholesale price for the day you signed and assumes 60% of your yearly usage falls in the winter months covered by the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. Your supplier worked from your actual meter readings, so their figures may differ a little.
Doesn't match your bills? Call us on 01273 914000 and we'll go through them with you.
How we work out your support
- Energy Bill Relief Scheme (1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023). If you agreed a fixed contract from 1 December 2021, you should have had the gap between the wholesale price on the day you signed and the supported price of 21.1p per kWh for electricity and 7.5p for gas. It never took your unit rate below that supported price.
- Energy Bills Discount Scheme (1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024). You got a smaller discount, up to 1.961p per kWh for electricity and 0.697p for gas, but only if the wholesale price on your signed date was above 30.2p for electricity or 10.7p for gas.
- Manufacturers and energy intensive businesses. If your business was on the government's energy and trade intensive industries list, you got a bigger discount, with lower thresholds of 18.5p for electricity and 9.9p for gas. We use the government's blended figure: 70% of the bigger discount and 30% of the standard one.
- Only the days you were covered. We count the days your contract ran inside each scheme, so if it started or ended part-way through, you see the right share.
We use the government's own wholesale prices for the Energy Bill Relief Scheme and the Energy Bills Discount Scheme. If your bills don't line up with your estimate, send us a copy and we'll check them for you.
Is your next contract coming up?
The schemes have gone, so your unit rate is all yours to pay. At Black Sheep Utilities, we'll find the options that best suit your business and look after your renewal from start to finish. Want to see what a better rate would be worth first? Try our business energy savings calculator, or call us on 01273 914000. No pressure, just straightforward advice.
Questions people ask
Can I still claim support under the Energy Bill Relief Scheme?
The scheme itself has ended, so there's nothing new to apply for. Support was taken off your bills by your supplier at the time. What you can still do is check it was applied properly, and that's what this calculator is for. If your estimate doesn't match what you saw on your bills, call us on 01273 914000 and we'll go through them with you.
What was the difference between the two schemes?
The Energy Bill Relief Scheme ran from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023 and capped the wholesale part of your unit rate at 21.1p per kWh for electricity and 7.5p for gas. The Energy Bills Discount Scheme took over from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 with a much smaller discount, only paid when wholesale prices on the day you signed were above 30.2p for electricity or 10.7p for gas.
Why does my contract signed date matter so much?
For fixed contracts, both schemes worked from the wholesale price on the day you agreed your contract. Sign at the August 2022 peak and your discount could be large; sign in early 2023, when prices had fallen, and there may be none at all. Fixed contracts agreed before 1 December 2021 weren't covered.
What if I was on a variable or deemed rate?
Variable, deemed and out-of-contract rates were worked out differently, and this calculator covers fixed contracts only. Give us a call and we'll talk it through with you.