Farm Households To Receive Energy Support

Farm households who were not previously eligible for energy support payments will now receive funding through the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding Northern Ireland (EBSS AF NI).

The £600 energy bill support scheme was established to provide financial support for households dealing with rising costs. However, many farmers discovered they were not eligible due to their home electricity being supplied on a business tariff.

Ulster Farmers Union (UFU) deputy president William Irvine said: "The Union has been inundated with phone calls from members over the past few months, worrying that their household would not receive support automatically from their electricity supplier under the Energy Bills Support 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 when it opens later this month."

Households that are eligible for the EBSS AF NI will need to submit a short online form via the government’s GOV.UK pages. The opening date of the application portal will be announced soon.