Our latest information on energy prices
Our latest information on energy prices – Update 22 March 2023
The current Energy Bill Relief Scheme “EBRS” is ending on 31 March 2023. This is being replaced with the Energy Bill Discount Scheme “EBDS” which will start on 1 April 2023 and last for 12 months until 31 March 2024.
EBDS (Energy Bill Discount Scheme)
If you’re eligible to receive the support, you’ll receive a per-unit discount on your gas and electricity unit prices on energy bills between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024, subject to a maximum discount.
The support will apply to businesses, voluntary and public sector organisations who are:
- On fixed price contracts agreed on or after 1 December 2021
- On deemed, out of contract or variable tariffs
- Signing new fixed price contracts
- On flexible purchase or similar contracts
The discount is for energy usage from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024.
More information on the EBDS is available by visiting the Government website here. Some illustrative examples have been included.
For most business customers, the maximum discounts have been set at:
- electricity – £19.61 per megawatt hour (MWh) with a price threshold of £302 per MWh.
- gas – £6.97 per MWh with a price threshold of £107 per MWh
Some Energy and Trade Intensive Industries (ETIIs) are particularly vulnerable to high energy prices due to their energy intensive and trade exposure. Those customers will receive a higher discount, the maximum discounts have been set at:
- electricity – £89 per MWh with a price threshold of £185 per MWh
- gas – £40 per MWh with a price threshold of £99 per MWh
Eligible ETII customers will have to apply to the Government for this support. To see if your business may be eligible to receive the ETII discount, please see here.
For further information on the EBDS and ETII, please visit here.
We’ll continue to automatically apply the discount under EBRS until the Scheme ends on 31 March 2023, at which point the new EBDS discount will become effective for usage from 1 April 2023 until 31 March 2024, if you’re eligible to receive the additional support.
The QFDC support will also end on 31 March 2023 in line with the EBRS scheme ending.
Who is eligible for the Scheme?
Everyone on a non-domestic contract including businesses, voluntary sector organisations, such as charities and public sector organisations such as schools, hospitals and care homes who are:
- on existing fixed price contracts that were agreed on or after 1 December 2021.
- signing new fixed price contracts
- on deemed/out of contract/variable tariffs
- on flexible purchase/similar contracts
It applies to England, Scotland and Wales. There is a similar scheme for Northern Ireland.
I’m currently in a fixed-term contract. Will my prices change?
It depends when your fixed price contract was agreed:
- If it was agreed before 1 December 2021, you’ll continue to pay the prices you agreed when you entered into your contract. The Government takes the view you do not need support as you have not been exposed to the rises in wholesale prices.
- If your contract was agreed on or after 1 December 2021, the maximum discounts have been set at £302 per MWh for electricity and £107 per MWh for gas, if your eligible, we’ll automatically reduce your per unit energy costs by the relevant p/kWh for the term of the Scheme.
I’m currently on an Out of Contract, Deemed or Variable Tariff. What discounts am I eligible for?
Under the EBDS discount, you’ll receive a maximum discount of £302 per MWh for electricity and £107 per MWh for gas on your energy costs. The Government have published details of the discounts on their website, which can be found here.
Your bills may still increase or decrease from time to time as you’re on a tariff that changes.
How do I know if I have received the EBRS discount?
If you’re eligible for the discount, we’ll automatically apply this to the energy section of your monthly bills, until the Scheme ends on 31 March 2023. Please see the example below:
When do the Schemes start and end?
The ERBS applies to energy usage from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023. If you’re eligible (see above), the discount was first applied to your November bill, which was backdated to cover October usage. The EBRS Scheme is ending on 31 March 2023 and is being replaced with the EBDS scheme which will apply to energy usage between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024.
How do I get the discount?
The discounts are being applied to your monthly bills for energy usage between 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023 for the EBRS and 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 for the EBDS discount. We’ll collect your Direct Debit payments as normal. You don’t need to do anything, if you’re eligible, we’ll automatically apply the discount to your monthly bill.
I’m worried I may not be able to afford my bills
If you’re experiencing financial difficulties or require further support paying your bills, we’re here to help. You can speak to one of our Collections experts by calling 0161 946 4446. We’re here Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. If you’d rather email us, please get in touch at info@switchingon.com.
Do I still need to give you monthly meter reads?
Yes, absolutely! It’s really important we get your monthly meter reads so we can see how much energy you’ve used. It’s really easy to give us a meter read. Simply log on to the Customer Zone, email us at info@switchingon.com or call us on 0161 946 4444.
How can I ensure that I only get billed for what I use?
There are 2 ways you can do this:
- Give us a meter read between 27thand 30th of each month. We’ll use the meter read to bill you based on your actual usage. You can do this on the Customer Zone, by emailing us at info@switchingon.com or by calling 0161 946 4444.
- Have a smart meter installed. With a smart meter, you won’t need to send a meter read each month. We’ll get readings automatically and bill you based on your actual usage each month. It’s easy to arrange, simply give us a call on 0161 946 4444 and we’ll arrange to install on a convenient date.
Does the domestic price cap affect me?
No. The price cap only applies to domestic supplies, not business customers. We’ve shared the details of the support available to businesses above.
How will I know when my contract is due to end and what happens next?
Your fixed-period contract end date is shown on your Unicom invoice under the relevant service section. We’ll write to you 60 days before your contract is due to end to let you know what happens next.
Can’t find your most recent invoice? That’s no problem, you can download copies of your bills for the last 36 months, submit a meter read, set up or reset your Direct Debit, update your contact details and more. Simply visit the Customer Zone.
Is there any other support available to me?
The Government has a range of ongoing schemes in place to support businesses with their energy costs. More information can be found here.