The Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme (TBESS) has been extended to the end of May 2023, though amendments are awaiting EU state aid approval.
TBESS was due to expire on 28 February. Last week finance minister Michael McGrath extended the scheme to 30 April 2023.
He also raised the monthly limit on aid under the scheme to €15,000 per qualifying business, subject to an overall cap of €45,000 in cases where a business is carried on from more than one location.
The enhanced limits will apply for claim periods from 1 March 2023.
Another change was reducing, with effect from 1 September 2022, the energy cost threshold for qualification for the scheme from a 50% increase in electricity or gas costs to a 30% increase.
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TBESS claims are on a monthly basis. This means that firms that didn’t qualify when TBESS was launched can now make claims relating to last autumn, and January and February this year, if their annual utility cost has increased by over 30%.
Today the minister announced that he intends that the scheme should apply to 31 May 2023.
Only from 1 March 2023 the level of relief offered has been raised from 40% to 50% of eligible costs.
Further information on these additional enhancements to the scheme will be available “in due course” on the Revenue website, the minister said.
Officials said that pending implementation of these changes, eligible businesses can continue to register for the TBESS as normal, and can continue to make claims in respect of claim periods up to the end of February 2023.
The facility to make claims in relation to energy bills covering the period from 1 March 2023 onwards will become available once state aid approval is received by the European Commission.
According to and official statement: “Revenue will automatically process claims using the revised parameters for the scheme. It will not be necessary for businesses to revise claims already submitted to take account of the revised qualification threshold of 30%.”
Elsewhere, minister Eamon Ryan has announced wide-ranging updates to SEAI Renewable Heat and EXEED schemes.
The Support Scheme for Renewable Heat (SSRH) and the Excellence in Energy Efficient Design (EXEED) have to date provided support of over €50m to 300 businesses across multiple sectors.
SEAI’s supports have been expanded so that businesses and public bodies can avail of up to €3m of grant support and up to €3.5m of tariff support for a range of high-impact measures to reduce fossil fuel use in commercial buildings and industry.
The SEAI said it is will increase the support for heat pump installations to a maximum of 40% of costs, from the current level of 30%.
Subject to state aid approval, SEAI will also expand the scheme to the Emissions Trading Scheme sector, comprising of large industry and large fossil fuel users.
EXEED will immediately increase maximum grant funding available and change evaluation thresholds, the SEAI stated.
This includes increasing support for high-impact energy efficiency and renewable energy projects to a maximum of €3m from the current level of €1m.
Photo: Minister Eamon Ryan (right) with William Walsh, CEO, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. (Pic: Conor McCabe)
