Over €2.2 million has been paid out to farmers and agri-businesses that have made a claim under the Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme (TBESS)
According to data from Revenue, 27,763 businesses across all sectors had registered for the scheme, which offers support with increased electricity or natural gas costs, by April 13.
Almost 18,000 businesses have fully completed the claims process and 5,087 have partially completed the claims process.
2,206 registrations for the government scheme were made from the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector by April 13. Of these, 1,724 claims have been approved for the measure.
TBESS
Minister for Finance, Michael McGrath welcomed recent approval from the EU Commission of Ireland’s state aid application for enhancements to the TBESS.
The enhancements provide for a further extension of the scheme to May 31, 2023 and a reduction in the energy unit cost threshold from 50% to 30% required to qualify for the scheme.
It also means there will be an increase in the level of relief available from 40% to 50% in respect of claims for the period from March 1 to May 31, 2023.
Revenue has today (Monday, April 17) updated its TBESS guidance to include these enhancements.
The online portal to make claims in relation to energy bills covering the period from March 1 to April 30, 2023 is also now open.
Revenue said that businesses that have already registered should update their reference period details for March and April 2022 in advance of submitting a claim for the extended periods of March and April 2023.
Claims relating to these periods will automatically be assessed based on the reduced 30% energy unit cost threshold, and will be paid based on the increased level of 50% of the increase in the bill.
The increased monthly cap of €15,000 (subject to an overall monthly cap of €45,000) will also be automatically applied to these claims.
Revenue said that the facility to make claims in relation to energy bills from May 1 to May 31, 2023 will open when the Finance Bill is passed.
Revenue
The reduction in the eligibility threshold from 50% to 30% applies from September 1, 2022.
As a result, Revenue advised businesses that did not qualify because their unit cost threshold increased in the range of 30-50% are now eligible to register and submit claims.
From April 24, Revenue will begin reassessing claims already submitted for the period from September 1, 2022 to February 28, 2023 that did not meet the original 50% energy cost threshold.
Those claims will be automatically recalculated on the basis of the revised 30% threshold and any payments due will be made to the businesses concerned.
Revenue has encouraged eligible businesses that have not yet registered for or have yet to fully complete a claim under the TBESS to do so now, as all claims must be submitted no later than July 31, 2023.