These Regulations amend the Energy Bills Discount Scheme Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/453) (the “EBDS Regulations”) and the Energy Bills Discount Scheme (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/454) (“the EBDS NI Regulations”).

Regulation 17 of the EBDS Regulations and regulation 17 of the EBDS NI Regulations impose a duty on certain qualifying heat suppliers to make an application for a QHS certificate in respect of the relevant heat network. Regulation 2 amends regulation 17 of the EBDS Regulations to provide a last date, to be specified in rules, on which such an application may be made. Regulation 3 makes the same amendment to regulation 17 of the EBDS NI Regulations.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.