The Energy Bill Relief Scheme Pass-through Requirement (Heat Suppliers) (Amendment) Regulations 2022

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Energy Bill Relief Scheme Pass-through Requirement (Heat Suppliers) (England and Wales and Scotland) Regulations 2022 (“the GB Regulations”) and the Energy Bill Relief Scheme Pass-through Requirement (Heat Suppliers) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2022 (“the NI Regulations”).

Part 2 amends the GB Regulations as follows.

Regulation 2 of the GB Regulations is amended to provide for definitions of “bill” and “authorised person” and to substitute definitions of “end user” and “intermediary”. It is also amended to provide for a modification to any reference to a heat supplier within the meaning of the Metering and Billing Regulations.

Regulation 3 of the GB Regulations is amended to provide for a scheme benefit where the intermediary is also an end user.

Regulation 4 of the GB Regulations is amended to remove the requirement for intermediaries (when notifying their end users that they have been provided with a scheme benefit) to provide information about the calculation of the pass-through amount.

Regulation 5 of the GB Regulations is amended to substitute the definition of “next bill”.

Regulation 9 of the GB Regulations is amended in relation to the definitions of “microbusiness end user”, “domestic end user” and “intermediary”.

Regulation 10 of the GB Regulations is amended to provide for further modifications of Schedule 4 to the Metering and Billing Regulations, including a new requirement to provide information to an authorised person and an increase in the monetary penalty that applies to failure to comply with a compliance notice or an enforcement undertaking.

New regulations 11 and 12 are inserted to provide for a new notification requirement and to apply civil sanctions to the new requirement.

Part 3 amends the NI Regulations as follows.

Regulation 2 of the NI Regulations is amended to provide for definitions of “bill” and “authorised person” and to substitute definitions of “end user” and “intermediary”. It is also amended to provide for a modification to any reference to a heat supplier within the meaning of the Metering and Billing Regulations.

Regulation 3 of the NI Regulations is amended to provide for a scheme benefit where the intermediary is also an end user.

Regulation 4 of the NI Regulations is amended to remove the requirement for intermediaries (when notifying their end users that they have been provided with a scheme benefit) to provide information about the calculation of the pass-through amount.

Regulation 5 of the NI Regulations is amended to substitute the definition of “next bill”.

Regulation 9 of the NI Regulations is amended in relation to the definitions of “microbusiness end user”, “domestic end user” and “intermediary”.

New regulations 10 and 11 are inserted to provide for a new notification requirement and to apply civil sanctions to the new requirement.

An impact assessment of the effect the Energy Bill Relief Scheme in England and Wales and Scotland and the Energy Bill Relief Scheme for Non-Domestic Customers in Northern Ireland, 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.