Farm households that were originally ineligible for the Energy Bills Support Scheme Payment will now receive support through Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding Northern Ireland (EBSS AF NI).
The UK government has said that the initiative will now provide a £600 payment to households in Northern Ireland that do not have a relationship with a domestic electricity supplier “in recognition of the high prevalence of alternative fuel usage in Northern Ireland”.
The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) claims that this decision came about as a result of its lobbying, with deputy president of the union William Irvine saying it had been “inundated with phone calls from members” who were worried that they would not receive support automatically from their electricity supplier under the original scheme.
“The UFU has been working with government to ensure that all farm dwelling houses could be catered for regardless of what electricity tariff they’re on.
“It’s an extremely positive outcome that farming households will now get the energy support they need after lobbying efforts.
“We encourage those members who missed out on support through the initial Energy Bills Support Scheme, to apply for the alternative funding scheme,” he said.
Households that are eligible for the EBSS AF NI will need to submit an online form via the UK government’s website.
The opening date of the application portal is unknown, but the UFU has said that it expects that the date will be announced soon.