Businesses everywhere are facing increased costs of doing business but supports are in place to help offset these rising costs, including the Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme (TBESS).
What is the TBESS?
The TBESS is business payment scheme introduced by the government which aims to assist qualifying businesses with their rising electricity or natural gas costs over the winter months. The scheme will give eligible businesses a pay-out of up to 40% of the increased cost of electricity or gas bills, up to a limit of €10,000 per premises per month.
Am I eligible for the scheme?
To be eligible to apply for the TBESS, businesses must be able to show that the unit cost on their electricity or gas bills has gone up by 50% or more this year compared to the same period last year.
How can I view my unit cost to tell if I qualify?
Electric Ireland customers can easily compare their average unit price through their Business Online account:
- Log in to your Business Online account (If you have not registered for Business Online we recommend you do so as it is the quickest way for you to access your Average Unit Price – you can do so here)
- Once logged in, click on ‘Reports’ and then select 'Average Unit Price' (If you have multiple accounts, please ensure you select the individual account you are applying for)
- Select the month that you require your unit price for (the month selection can be found on the upper right side of the screen)
- Scroll to the bottom of the screen where you will find a table, with a column displaying ‘Average Unit Price’. Here you will see the monthly unit price calculation.
- This table can be easily exported as an excel spreadsheet – Click the download button on the top right of the screen, across from the ‘Average Unit Price’ heading.
What else do I need to apply?
In addition to your 2021 and 2022 bills, businesses will also need a Tax Clearance Certificate.
A Tax Clearance Certificate is confirmation from Revenue that your tax affairs are in order. You can find information on how to apply here on the Revenue website.
How to apply:
Once you have these documents, here are the 3 easy steps you need to complete to apply for the scheme:
1. Login or Register for Revenue Online Services (ROS) – you can do so here.
To register, you must:
- Confirm that you have your tax clearance certificate
- State whether your business commenced on or after September 01, 2021
- Input a descriptor of your trade/profession and its main address
- Input the meter point or gas point number related to your gas bills
2. Make a claim:
Once logged-in or registered, click on the claims portal for TBESS.
To submit your claim, the following details are required:
- Price information from your energy bills for both the claim and reference period (i.e., January 2022 and January 2023)
- Copies of your energy bills for verification
- Bank details (so that the TBESS payment can be sent to your account)
Once you have verified and submitted these details, the application will be sent to Revenue for review.
For more information on the Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme, visit Revenue.com
At Electric Ireland, our mission is always to deliver the most relevant, affordable and innovative energy solutions for our customers. For further information or queries on TBESS, Business Online, or any of your Electric Ireland services, visit our Help Centre & Online Support hub.
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