Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme (TBESS)

Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme (TBESS) was recently introduced by Irish government to support businesses with their energy costs.

Your business can apply for it if:

  • is tax compliant
  • carries on a Case I trade or Case II profession. This includes charities and approved sporting bodies that carry on certain activities
  • has experienced a significant increase of 50% or more in its electricity and/or natural gas average unit price.

How much you can claim?

Qualifying businesses can claim for 40% of the increases in their energy bills. The increase in energy bills must be between the ‘claim period’ and the ‘reference period’.

A claim period is a calendar month from September 2022 to February 2023. A reference period is the corresponding calendar month in the previous year. For example, September 2021 is the reference period for the September 2022 claim period.

Further information on the scheme is contained in the TBESS guidelines.

Qualifying criteria for TBESS

To qualify for Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme (TBESS), you must:

  • pass the ‘energy costs threshold’
  • be tax compliant with regards to tax registration, tax payments and filing of tax returns
  • be eligible for a tax clearance certificate throughout the claim period
  • be an eligible business throughout the claim period and intend to be an eligible business following the end of the claim period
  • complete the TBESS registration and claim process, including completion of all required declarations.

These conditions must be met for each period for which your business is making a claim.

Energy costs threshold

An eligible business must satisfy the energy costs threshold in respect of each electricity or natural gas bill per claim.

The average unit price for electricity or natural gas must be calculated for each energy bill arising in a claim period. The average unit price is also calculated for the corresponding reference period in the previous year.

A comparison is then made between the average unit price for the electricity or natural gas costs of the:

  • bill in the claim period
  • and
  • corresponding reference period in the previous year.

To satisfy the energy costs threshold the average unit price must have increased by 50% or more per relevant bill.

Further information on the energy costs threshold is available in the TBESS guidelines.

Making a claim

You can claim Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme (TBESS) on Revenue or contacting us.

For additional information on any of the energy supports available to business, please contact our expert team.