Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the definition of businesses eligible for the Energy and Trade Intensive Industries discount to include the IT industry.

The Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) review assessed a range of qualitative and quantitative evidence and contributions from businesses and other stakeholders, on sectors that may be most affected by price increases based on energy and trade intensity (ETII). To qualify as an ETII sector, the sector had to be above the 80th percentile for energy intensity and the 60th percentile for trade intensity. The IT industry does not meet these criteria and is therefore not included in the ETII scheme.

The new Energy Bill Discount Scheme will provide a baseline discount to all eligible non-domestic customers, including the IT industry, until 2024. The unit discount is capped at £19.61/MW for electricity, and £6.97/MW for gas.