Important notice about changes to the TBESS

Yesterday (01/03/23), the Minister for Finance, Michael McGrath T.D., welcomed the commencement of changes made to the Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme (TBESS). These changes provide for the extension of the scheme beyond 28 February 2023, to 30 April 2023, and an increase in the monthly limit on payments which can be made from the scheme, for claim periods from 1 March 2023. Revenue has updated its detailed guidance on TBESS to include details of these changes.

A number of additional changes to the TBESS have been announced by the Minister for Finance, however, these additional changes are subject to State aid approval. One such change is the reduction of the energy costs threshold for qualification for the scheme from a 50% increase in energy costs, to a 30% increase.

Following receipt of State aid approval, Revenue will determine an appropriate date to automatically reassess claims already submitted relating to the period from 1 September 2022 to 28 February 2023 which did not meet the original 50% energy cost threshold, and calculate any payments due to businesses on the basis of the revised threshold. This means that it will not be necessary for businesses to revise their claims already submitted to take account of the revised qualification threshold of 30%.

Eligible businesses are therefore encouraged to continue making claims for the period from 1 September 2022 to 28 February 2023 via the eRepayments system on Revenue’s Online Service (ROS). As of 1 March 2023, over 25,400 businesses have registered for the TBESS and over 23,800 claims have already been approved. These approved claims have a value of €51.65 million.

The facility to make claims in relation to energy bills covering claim periods from 1 March 2023 will open in due course. Revenue will issue a further update when the claim portal opens for this period.

[Ends 02/3/2023]