Households in Northern Ireland are to begin receiving the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme payment from November, according to Advice NI, which states that the Prime Minister said recently that households in Northern Ireland would begin to receive this support from November1. The scheme is a £400 credit added to electricity bills by suppliers, paid to every household regardless of income and credited in six roughly equal monthly instalments1. People on traditional prepayment meters will either receive a voucher by text, email or post, or an additional credit at the top-up point1.
The payment sits within a wider package legislated through the Energy Prices Bill, introduced in Parliament on 12 October 2022, which the government said provides the legislative footing needed to ensure that people and businesses across the UK receive support with their energy bills this winter2. The Bill includes essential measures that enable the UK government to deliver comparable schemes in Northern Ireland2. Powers in the Bill will provide a robust basis to allow the government to make payments and deliver NI EBSS, which will provide £400 of support to households in Northern Ireland this winter2.
"For customers in Northern Ireland, both the Northern Ireland Energy Bills Support Scheme and Northern Ireland Energy Price Guarantee will work similarly to those in Great Britain, and householders will receive an equivalent level of support."
The Energy Price Guarantee restricts the unit prices that can be charged for electricity and gas for two years from 1 October 2022, with average unit prices of 10.3p/kWh for gas and 34p/kWh for those on standard tariffs, and slight differences for prepayment customers1. Customers on fixed-rate deals are eligible for a discount of up to 17p/kWh for electricity and 4.2p/kWh for gas; standing charges are not affected1. The government said the Guarantee will ensure that a typical household in the United Kingdom pays around £2,500 a year on their energy bill, depending on their use, for the next 2 years, from 1 October 20222.
| Measure | Amount | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Bills Support Scheme (NI) | £400 credit on electricity bills, six instalments | From November 20221 |
| Energy Price Guarantee | Unit prices capped: 10.3p/kWh gas, 34p/kWh electricity on standard tariffs | Two years from 1 October 20221 |
| Alternative Fuel Payment | One-off £100 for households off the mains gas grid | Delivery method not yet determined2 |
| Energy Bill Relief Scheme (non-domestic) | Baseline supported price; NI figures not yet determined | At least six months1 |
Separately, the Westminster government committed to an additional £100 of support for people not on the gas network, such as home heating oil customers1. The Energy Prices Bill describes this as a one-off payment of £100 to UK households who are not on the mains gas grid and therefore use alternative fuels, such as heating oil, to heat their homes2. Advice NI states that it is unclear at present how this support will be delivered1. Equivalent figures for Northern Ireland under the Energy Bill Relief Scheme for non-domestic customers have not yet been determined1.
Why it matters for households
The £400 credit is universal: every household receives it, regardless of income, and it is delivered through electricity suppliers rather than by application1. For a household in Northern Ireland, that means the support arrives without a claim, though Advice NI notes that consumers may be advised to contact their electricity and gas suppliers to ensure contact information is up to date1. The unit price caps under the Energy Price Guarantee set a ceiling on what can be charged per kilowatt hour for two years, which gives households a fixed reference point for what a unit of gas and electricity should cost, separate from the total bill, which still depends on how much is used2. For homes off the mains gas grid, the £100 Alternative Fuel Payment is a one-off and its delivery route in Northern Ireland has not been set out2. Households in Northern Ireland can find further detail on help with energy bills and debt in Northern Ireland and on how the separate Northern Ireland market operates.
What happens next
The Energy Prices Bill was subject to the standard parliamentary process for emergency legislation2. The government said further detail on the Northern Ireland schemes would be released in due course2. Advice NI states that the Energy Bill Relief Scheme is likely to shift to more targeted support to organisations most in need from April 20231. The Cost-Plus Revenue Limit, which applies in England and Wales, is planned to be in place from the start of 2023, with the government liaising with the Scottish Government on whether it extends to Scotland; the legislation allows for a temporary revenue limit to apply in Northern Ireland2.