Heat Network Funding: Energy Bill Discount Scheme (EBDS)
All heat network operators have a legal requirement to apply for the Energy Bill Discount Scheme (EBDS) by 31st March 2024 and pass on the benefit to your end customers.
The Energy Prices Act (2022) was introduced by the government in light of the energy bill crisis. Support was initially provided to heat network customers under the Energy Bill Reduction Scheme (EBRS), which was replaced from April 2023 – March 2024 by the Energy Bill Discount Scheme (EBDS).
All heat network operators – including housing providers – have a statutory obligation to apply for the EBDS via a Qualifying Heat Supplier certificate to access discounted gas and electricity prices to pass on to their customers. Failure to do so could incur penalties of up to £5,000 per scheme. As of March 2024, the Energy Ombudsman is also taking enforcement action on the requirements of EBDS scheme.
Chirpy Heat has been working with numerous housing providers over the last 18 months on both EBRS and EBDS – and there’s still time for us to help you too, to make sure you are compliant and that your customers benefit from the discount. Just fill in the short form below and we’ll be in touch ASAP. Details of how we handle your data are in our Terms & Conditions.
