Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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257. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the supports available to businesses which were established under the last 12 months and therefore, do not qualify for the temporary business energy support scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24065/23]

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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The Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme does not exclude newly established businesses. Businesses who are newly established within the past 12 months can apply for TBESS.

Where the eligible business does not have a reference electricity bill or reference gas bill for the

reference period because the business had not commenced at that time or because the relevant electricity account or gas connection was not held by the business at the time, a deemed reference unit price must be used.

This may happen where a business acquired an electricity account/MPRN or gas connections/GPRN, moved premises or commenced trading after the relevant reference period.

A ‘deemed reference unit price’ in respect of electricity or gas will be used when a comparative unit

price cannot be ascertained for the reference period.

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has provided a deemed reference unit price for the range of MPRNs and GPRNs for each of the months from September 2021 to May 2022. These deemed reference unit prices are based on data provided to the

SEAI by suppliers and the Commission for Regulation of Utilities.

Revenue has published comprehensive guidelines on the operation of the scheme, which includes information on eligibility for the scheme and how claims may be made. The guidelines are available on the Revenue website at: www.revenue.ie/en/starting-a-business/documents/tbess-guidelines.pdf. Deemed reference unit prices for electricity and gas, which have been made available by the SEAI, are contained in Appendix III of the guidelines.

Further details are outlined in TBESS guidelines available on Revenue.ie.

My Department's website provides a list of additional supports available to help businesses and further details on those supports can be found at: Climate action and energy - DETE (enterprise.gov.ie).