The Rate Relief (Energy Efficiency Homes Scheme) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations, made under Article 30D of the Rates (Northern Ireland) Order 1977 (inserted by section 3 of the Rates (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2009), introduce a new one-off reduction in rates for owner-occupiers who make certain energy efficiency improvements to their home.

The Regulations—

(a) exclude various classes of dwelling-house from the reduction (regulation 3);

(b) provide, subject to certain conditions, for the amount of rates payable in respect of a dwelling-house to be reduced in the relevant year by a prescribed sum if loft or cavity wall insulation has been installed to the standards set out in Schedule 1; the relevant year is defined as the year in which an application is made under the Regulations and, if the prescribed sum is more than the amount of rates payable, subsequent years until the prescribed sum is exhausted (regulation 4);

(c) provide for how the prescribed sum is to be determined (regulation 5 and Schedule 2);

(d) provide for the amount of rates to be reduced only if an application is made to the Energy Saving Trust before 1st April 2015 (regulation 6);

(e) provide that a reduction shall not be made unless the applicant consents to an inspection of the dwelling-house in question (regulation 7);

(f) require the Department to serve notice of a decision as to whether an applicant is entitled to a reduction under the Regulations and provide for reviews and appeals (regulations 8 and 9).