Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make it her policy to accept retrospective support applications from heat suppliers via the Energy Bills Discount Scheme after 31 March 2024.

For eligible heat networks, the deadline to apply for the scheme was 31 March 2024. The closure of the Energy Bills Discount Scheme for heat networks has been communicated through numerous campaigns, online, and through targeted outreach to suppliers and networks. We also wrote to Members of Parliament who have qualifying heat networks in their constituency, asking them to reach out to the heat network suppliers to inform them of their requirement to apply for the scheme.

However, the Department is allowing a two-week grace period following the 31 March 2024 deadline for any newly eligible heat networks to submit an application.

Any applications that submitted their application before the deadline, and were eligible on 1 April 2023, will receive support backdated to that date.