Energy Scheme Eligibility Checker
Type your company name and see which UK energy cost reduction schemes your business could claim: BICS, Climate Change Agreements, the EII exemption, UK ETS compensation, 5% VAT and CCL relief, and demand flexibility revenue. Screened live against your Companies House record.
Searches the live Companies House register. Free, no signup, UK businesses only.
Which energy cost reduction schemes could your business claim?
UK businesses are leaving serious money on the table because the reliefs sit in different corners of government: BICS with the Department for Business and Trade, Climate Change Agreements with the Environment Agency, VAT and the Climate Change Levy with HMRC, and demand flexibility with NESO. This tool pulls the eligibility rules into one place. Enter your company name, and it reads your registered SIC codes from Companies House and screens them against the official lists for all six schemes at once. Every rule and rate on this page was verified against the GOV.UK, Ofgem and NESO sources on 16 July 2026, including the final BICS Annex A eligibility lists published on 8 July 2026.
The screening is deliberately generous in what it flags. Registered SIC codes are often stale, and several schemes assess by process, product or site rather than SIC alone, so a company that looks close to qualifying frequently does qualify once a specialist runs the real tests. That is why every "close to qualifying" result comes with the same offer: we may be able to help, and the verified assessment is free. And whatever the scheme screening says, procurement still moves the biggest number on the bill: our clients typically save 15 to 30 percent when we tender their contracts across 30+ suppliers.
The six schemes this checker screens
British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS)
The biggest change to industrial energy costs in a decade. From April 2027, with support backdated to April 2026, BICS removes renewables policy costs worth £35 to £40 per MWh from the electricity bills of over 10,000 British manufacturers in the frontier and foundational sectors of the Modern Industrial Strategy. The final eligibility lists (Annex A SIC and HS codes, updated 8 July 2026) were confirmed in the government response of 16 April 2026. Eligibility runs on three tests: an eligible SIC code, an eligible HS-coded product manufactured in Great Britain, and the share of site electricity used to make it, which sets the exemption band. Those policy costs are the same RO, CfD and FiT lines you can see itemised in our non-commodity cost calculator.
Climate Change Agreements (CCA)
A CCA gives energy-intensive facilities 92 percent off the Climate Change Levy on electricity and 89 percent off gas in exchange for meeting energy efficiency targets. The 2026 statutory guidance opened a new scheme running to March 2033, with targets set at facility level, a 70 percent rule on covered energy, and application windows from January to August each year. Eligibility is defined by process rather than SIC code, which is exactly why a near miss on the automated screen deserves a manual review. The levy itself is one of over a hundred charges we document in charges explained.
Reduced 5% VAT and CCL exclusion
Charities (for non-business use), qualifying residential premises such as care homes and student accommodation, and low-usage supplies below the de minimis thresholds (an average 33 kWh per day of electricity or 145 kWh per day of gas) pay 5 percent VAT instead of 20 percent, and a qualifying supply is excluded from the Climate Change Levy on top. Where 60 percent or more of a supply qualifies, the whole supply gets the reduced rate. The fix is a supplier declaration certificate, and overpayments can be reclaimed for up to 4 years, which for a mis-rated care home or charity estate is routinely a five-figure refund.
British Industry Supercharger (EII exemption) and UK ETS compensation
Energy-intensive industries that pass the sector test and a 20 percent business-level electricity intensity test are exempted from 90 percent of the indirect costs of the Renewables Obligation, Contracts for Difference and Feed-in Tariff schemes (raised from 60 percent on 1 April 2026). The same sector list feeds compensation for the indirect UK ETS and Carbon Price Support carbon costs in electricity prices, claimed quarterly with a 5 percent gross value added test. If carbon costs touch your business more directly, start with our carbon allowances hub. BICS and the Supercharger cannot be combined; qualifying for the right one is part of the assessment.
Demand flexibility revenue
Not a discount but an income stream: NESO's Demand Flexibility Service pays sites that can shift electricity use away from peak times, and its April 2026 evolution opened bi-directional flexibility to assets from just 0.1 MW. Refrigeration, HVAC, batch processes, batteries and standby generation all count. We aggregate client sites into our virtual power plant and manage dispatch through flexibility trading, so the revenue case is something we can model from your half-hourly data.
The SIC codes this checker screens
These are the 4-digit SIC 2007 codes the checker matches your Companies House record against, scheme by scheme. Registered SIC codes are self-reported: if yours no longer describe what the business actually does, they can be corrected on your next confirmation statement, and the AI research in the tool above will suggest the eligible codes that genuinely fit your activity. For BICS the deciding document is the final Annex A list (SIC and HS codes, 8 July 2026) on the GOV.UK consultation page.
BICS: frontier industries (44 codes)
The complete frontier list from the final Annex A (8 July 2026): pharmaceuticals, vehicles, aerospace, shipbuilding, defence, batteries, electronics, electrical equipment and machinery. BICS eligibility also needs an eligible HS-coded product made in Great Britain.
- 2011Manufacture of industrial gases
- 2051Manufacture of explosives
- 2110Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products
- 2120Manufacture of pharmaceutical preparations
- 2211Manufacture and retreading of rubber tyres and tubes
- 2319Manufacture and processing of other glass, incl. technical glassware
- 2344Manufacture of other technical ceramic products
- 2433Cold forming or folding
- 2446Processing of nuclear fuel
- 2521Manufacture of central heating radiators and boilers
- 2530Manufacture of steam generators, except central heating hot water boilers
- 2562Machining
- 2599Manufacture of other fabricated metal products
- 2611Manufacture of electronic components
- 2612Manufacture of loaded electronic boards
- 2660Manufacture of irradiation, electromedical and electrotherapeutic equipment
- 2670Manufacture of optical instruments and photographic equipment
- 2711Manufacture of electric motors, generators and transformers
- 2712Manufacture of electricity distribution and control apparatus
- 2720Manufacture of batteries and accumulators
- 2731Manufacture of fibre optic cables
- 2732Manufacture of other electronic and electric wires and cables
- 2733Manufacture of wiring devices
- 2790Manufacture of other electrical equipment
- 2811Manufacture of engines and turbines, except aircraft, vehicle and cycle engines
- 2812Manufacture of fluid power equipment
- 2813Manufacture of other pumps and compressors
- 2814Manufacture of other taps and valves
- 2815Manufacture of bearings, gears, gearing and driving elements
- 2825Manufacture of non-domestic cooling and ventilation equipment
- 2830Manufacture of agricultural and forestry machinery
- 2849Manufacture of other machine tools
- 2899Manufacture of other special-purpose machinery nec
- 2910Manufacture of motor vehicles
- 2920Manufacture of vehicle bodies, trailers and semi-trailers
- 2932Manufacture of other parts and accessories for motor vehicles
- 3011Building of ships and floating structures
- 3030Manufacture of air and spacecraft and related machinery
- 3040Manufacture of military fighting vehicles
- 3250Manufacture of medical and dental instruments and supplies
- 3299Other manufacturing not elsewhere classified
- 3316Repair and maintenance of aircraft and spacecraft
- 3521Manufacture of gas
- 3821Treatment and disposal of non-hazardous waste
BICS: foundational industries (40 codes)
The complete foundational list from the final Annex A (8 July 2026): steel, chemicals, non-ferrous metals, glass, cement, technical ceramics, cold-formed steel, oils, starches, sugar and materials recovery.
- 1041Manufacture of oils and fats
- 1062Manufacture of starches and starch products
- 1081Manufacture of sugar
- 2013Manufacture of other inorganic basic chemicals
- 2014Manufacture of other organic basic chemicals
- 2015Manufacture of fertilisers and nitrogen compounds
- 2016Manufacture of plastics in primary forms
- 2017Manufacture of synthetic rubber in primary forms
- 2060Manufacture of man-made fibres
- 2221Manufacture of plastic plates, sheets, tubes and profiles
- 2229Manufacture of other plastic products
- 2311Manufacture of flat glass
- 2312Shaping and processing of flat glass
- 2313Manufacture of hollow glass
- 2314Manufacture of glass fibres
- 2343Manufacture of ceramic insulators and insulating fittings
- 2351Manufacture of cement
- 2352Manufacture of lime and plaster
- 2363Manufacture of ready-mixed concrete
- 2364Manufacture of mortars
- 2399Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products nec
- 2410Manufacture of basic iron and steel and ferro-alloys
- 2420Manufacture of steel tubes, pipes and related fittings
- 2431Cold drawing of bars
- 2432Cold rolling of narrow strip
- 2434Cold drawing of wire
- 2441Precious metals production
- 2442Aluminium production
- 2443Lead, zinc and tin production
- 2444Copper production
- 2445Other non-ferrous metal production
- 2451Casting of iron
- 2452Casting of steel
- 2453Casting of light metals
- 2454Casting of other non-ferrous metals
- 2529Manufacture of other tanks, reservoirs and containers of metal
- 2550Forging, pressing, stamping and roll-forming of metal
- 2561Treatment and coating of metals
- 2593Manufacture of wire products, chain and springs
- 3832Recovery of sorted materials (recycling)
Climate Change Agreement sectors (134 codes)
Mapped from the 53 official CCA umbrella agreements, from food and drink to ceramics, plastics, textiles, printing, cold storage, data centres, sawmills, supermarkets and intensive farming. CCA eligibility is decided by process at facility level, so this mapping is indicative.
- 0113Growing of vegetables, melons, roots and tubers
- 0119Growing of other non-perennial crops
- 0130Plant propagation
- 0146Raising of swine/pigs
- 0147Raising of poultry
- 0811Quarrying of ornamental and building stone, limestone, gypsum, chalk and slate
- 0812Operation of gravel and sand pits; mining of clays and kaolin
- 1011Processing and preserving of meat
- 1012Processing and preserving of poultry meat
- 1013Production of meat and poultry meat products
- 1020Processing and preserving of fish, crustaceans and molluscs
- 1031Processing and preserving of potatoes
- 1032Manufacture of fruit and vegetable juice
- 1039Other processing and preserving of fruit and vegetables
- 1041Manufacture of oils and fats
- 1051Operation of dairies and cheese making
- 1052Manufacture of ice cream
- 1061Manufacture of grain mill products
- 1062Manufacture of starches and starch products
- 1071Manufacture of bread, fresh pastry goods and cakes
- 1072Manufacture of rusks, biscuits and preserved pastry goods
- 1073Manufacture of macaroni, noodles and similar farinaceous products
- 1081Manufacture of sugar
- 1082Manufacture of cocoa, chocolate and sugar confectionery
- 1083Processing of tea and coffee
- 1084Manufacture of condiments and seasonings
- 1085Manufacture of prepared meals and dishes
- 1086Manufacture of homogenised and dietetic food
- 1089Manufacture of other food products
- 1091Manufacture of prepared feeds for farm animals
- 1092Manufacture of prepared pet foods
- 1101Distilling, rectifying and blending of spirits
- 1102Manufacture of wine from grape
- 1103Manufacture of cider and other fruit wines
- 1104Manufacture of other non-distilled fermented beverages
- 1105Manufacture of beer
- 1106Manufacture of malt
- 1107Manufacture of soft drinks and bottled waters
- 1310Preparation and spinning of textile fibres
- 1320Weaving of textiles
- 1330Finishing of textiles
- 1391Manufacture of knitted and crocheted fabrics
- 1392Manufacture of made-up textile articles, except apparel
- 1393Manufacture of carpets and rugs
- 1394Manufacture of cordage, rope, twine and netting
- 1395Manufacture of non-wovens and non-woven articles
- 1396Manufacture of other technical and industrial textiles
- 1399Manufacture of other textiles
- 1511Tanning and dressing of leather; dressing and dyeing of fur
- 1610Sawmilling and planing of wood
- 1621Manufacture of veneer sheets and wood-based panels
- 1711Manufacture of pulp
- 1712Manufacture of paper and paperboard
- 1721Manufacture of corrugated paper, paperboard and containers
- 1722Manufacture of household and sanitary paper goods
- 1723Manufacture of paper stationery
- 1724Manufacture of wallpaper
- 1729Manufacture of other articles of paper and paperboard
- 1811Printing of newspapers
- 1812Other printing
- 1813Pre-press and pre-media services
- 1814Binding and related print services
- 2011Manufacture of industrial gases
- 2012Manufacture of dyes and pigments
- 2013Manufacture of other inorganic basic chemicals
- 2014Manufacture of other organic basic chemicals
- 2015Manufacture of fertilisers and nitrogen compounds
- 2016Manufacture of plastics in primary forms
- 2017Manufacture of synthetic rubber in primary forms
- 2020Manufacture of pesticides and other agrochemical products
- 2030Manufacture of paints, varnishes, printing ink and mastics
- 2041Manufacture of soap, detergents and cleaning preparations
- 2042Manufacture of perfumes and toilet preparations
- 2051Manufacture of explosives
- 2052Manufacture of glues
- 2053Manufacture of essential oils
- 2059Manufacture of other chemical products
- 2060Manufacture of man-made fibres
- 2211Manufacture and retreading of rubber tyres and tubes
- 2219Manufacture of other rubber products
- 2221Manufacture of plastic plates, sheets, tubes and profiles
- 2222Manufacture of plastic packing goods
- 2223Manufacture of builders' ware of plastic
- 2229Manufacture of other plastic products
- 2311Manufacture of flat glass
- 2312Shaping and processing of flat glass
- 2313Manufacture of hollow glass
- 2314Manufacture of glass fibres
- 2319Manufacture and processing of other glass, incl. technical glassware
- 2320Manufacture of refractory products
- 2331Manufacture of ceramic tiles and flags
- 2332Manufacture of bricks, tiles and baked clay construction products
- 2341Manufacture of ceramic household and ornamental articles
- 2342Manufacture of ceramic sanitary fixtures
- 2343Manufacture of ceramic insulators and insulating fittings
- 2344Manufacture of other technical ceramic products
- 2349Manufacture of other ceramic products
- 2351Manufacture of cement
- 2352Manufacture of lime and plaster
- 2361Manufacture of concrete products for construction
- 2362Manufacture of plaster products for construction
- 2363Manufacture of ready-mixed concrete
- 2364Manufacture of mortars
- 2365Manufacture of fibre cement
- 2369Manufacture of other concrete, plaster and cement articles
- 2399Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products nec
- 2410Manufacture of basic iron and steel and ferro-alloys
- 2420Manufacture of steel tubes, pipes and related fittings
- 2431Cold drawing of bars
- 2432Cold rolling of narrow strip
- 2433Cold forming or folding
- 2434Cold drawing of wire
- 2441Precious metals production
- 2442Aluminium production
- 2443Lead, zinc and tin production
- 2444Copper production
- 2445Other non-ferrous metal production
- 2451Casting of iron
- 2452Casting of steel
- 2453Casting of light metals
- 2454Casting of other non-ferrous metals
- 2550Forging, pressing, stamping and roll-forming of metal
- 2592Manufacture of light metal packaging
- 2720Manufacture of batteries and accumulators
- 2910Manufacture of motor vehicles
- 2920Manufacture of vehicle bodies, trailers and semi-trailers
- 2931Manufacture of electrical and electronic equipment for vehicles
- 2932Manufacture of other parts and accessories for motor vehicles
- 3030Manufacture of air and spacecraft and related machinery
- 3832Recovery of sorted materials (recycling)
- 4711Retail sale in non-specialised stores with food, beverages or tobacco predominating
- 5210Warehousing and storage (incl. cold storage)
- 6311Data processing, hosting and related activities (data centres)
- 9601Washing and dry-cleaning of textile and fur products
British Industry Supercharger (EII) eligible sectors (71 codes)
The complete statutory eligible-activities list from Annex 1 of the EII exemption guidance (revised May 2026). Being on this list is necessary but not sufficient: the exemption also requires passing the 20 percent business-level electricity intensity test.
- 0510Mining of hard coal
- 0811Quarrying of ornamental and building stone, limestone, gypsum, chalk and slate
- 0812Operation of gravel and sand pits; mining of clays and kaolin
- 0899Other mining and quarrying not elsewhere classified
- 1012Processing and preserving of poultry meat
- 1061Manufacture of grain mill products
- 1091Manufacture of prepared feeds for farm animals
- 1106Manufacture of malt
- 1310Preparation and spinning of textile fibres
- 1320Weaving of textiles
- 1391Manufacture of knitted and crocheted fabrics
- 1393Manufacture of carpets and rugs
- 1395Manufacture of non-wovens and non-woven articles
- 1396Manufacture of other technical and industrial textiles
- 1399Manufacture of other textiles
- 1419Manufacture of other wearing apparel and accessories
- 1431Manufacture of knitted and crocheted hosiery
- 1439Manufacture of other knitted and crocheted apparel
- 1511Tanning and dressing of leather; dressing and dyeing of fur
- 1610Sawmilling and planing of wood
- 1621Manufacture of veneer sheets and wood-based panels
- 1629Manufacture of other products of wood, cork, straw and plaiting materials
- 1712Manufacture of paper and paperboard
- 1721Manufacture of corrugated paper, paperboard and containers
- 1722Manufacture of household and sanitary paper goods
- 1724Manufacture of wallpaper
- 1920Manufacture of refined petroleum products
- 2011Manufacture of industrial gases
- 2013Manufacture of other inorganic basic chemicals
- 2014Manufacture of other organic basic chemicals
- 2015Manufacture of fertilisers and nitrogen compounds
- 2016Manufacture of plastics in primary forms
- 2017Manufacture of synthetic rubber in primary forms
- 2060Manufacture of man-made fibres
- 2211Manufacture and retreading of rubber tyres and tubes
- 2219Manufacture of other rubber products
- 2221Manufacture of plastic plates, sheets, tubes and profiles
- 2222Manufacture of plastic packing goods
- 2229Manufacture of other plastic products
- 2311Manufacture of flat glass
- 2313Manufacture of hollow glass
- 2314Manufacture of glass fibres
- 2319Manufacture and processing of other glass, incl. technical glassware
- 2320Manufacture of refractory products
- 2331Manufacture of ceramic tiles and flags
- 2332Manufacture of bricks, tiles and baked clay construction products
- 2344Manufacture of other technical ceramic products
- 2349Manufacture of other ceramic products
- 2351Manufacture of cement
- 2352Manufacture of lime and plaster
- 2362Manufacture of plaster products for construction
- 2365Manufacture of fibre cement
- 2399Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products nec
- 2410Manufacture of basic iron and steel and ferro-alloys
- 2420Manufacture of steel tubes, pipes and related fittings
- 2431Cold drawing of bars
- 2432Cold rolling of narrow strip
- 2434Cold drawing of wire
- 2442Aluminium production
- 2443Lead, zinc and tin production
- 2444Copper production
- 2445Other non-ferrous metal production
- 2451Casting of iron
- 2452Casting of steel
- 2453Casting of light metals
- 2454Casting of other non-ferrous metals
- 2592Manufacture of light metal packaging
- 2611Manufacture of electronic components
- 2720Manufacture of batteries and accumulators
- 2732Manufacture of other electronic and electric wires and cables
- 2891Manufacture of machinery for metallurgy
Frequently asked questions
What is the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS)?
BICS is the government scheme, finalised in April 2026, that cuts electricity costs for over 10,000 eligible British manufacturers by removing renewables policy costs from their bills, worth £35 to £40 per MWh. Exemptions apply from April 2027 with support backdated to April 2026. Eligibility is defined by the SIC and HS product codes in Annex A of the government response, last updated on 8 July 2026 and confirmed as final for 2027.
Which businesses qualify for BICS?
Manufacturers in the frontier and foundational industry sectors listed in Annex A of the BICS government response. Your company's SIC code must be on the list, you must manufacture an eligible HS-coded product in Great Britain, and the exemption band (0, 50 or 100 percent, pro-rated in bands) depends on the share of your site's electricity used to make that product. Registered SIC codes are often out of date, so a near miss on the automated check is worth a manual review.
What is a Climate Change Agreement and how much does it save?
A Climate Change Agreement (CCA) is a voluntary agreement with the Environment Agency: your facility commits to energy efficiency targets and in return pays a reduced rate of Climate Change Levy, currently 92 percent off electricity and 89 percent off gas. The 2026 statutory guidance runs the new scheme through Target Periods 7 to 9 with certification to March 2033, targets set at facility level and a 70 percent rule on the energy covered.
How much is the Climate Change Levy in 2026?
From 1 April 2026 the CCL main rate is 0.801p per kWh on both business electricity and gas. Holders of a Climate Change Agreement pay the reduced rates, and supplies that qualify for the reduced 5 percent VAT rate (charity non-business use, residential use, or usage below the de minimis thresholds) are excluded from CCL entirely.
Who qualifies for 5% VAT on business energy?
Three groups: charities, for their non-business use; premises with qualifying residential use such as care homes and student accommodation; and any supply below the de minimis thresholds of an average 33 kWh per day of electricity or 145 kWh per day of gas. Where 60 percent or more of a supply is qualifying use, the whole supply gets 5 percent VAT, and a qualifying supply is also excluded from the Climate Change Levy. Overpayments can be reclaimed for up to 4 years.
What is the British Industry Supercharger?
The British Industry Supercharger is the package for energy-intensive industries (EIIs). Its core is the EII exemption from the indirect costs of the Contracts for Difference, Renewables Obligation and Feed-in Tariff schemes, raised from 60 percent to 90 percent from 1 April 2026. Eligible sectors can also claim compensation for UK ETS and Carbon Price Support costs passed through in electricity prices. It requires an eligible sector plus a 20 percent business-level electricity intensity test, and it cannot be combined with BICS.
How does this eligibility checker work?
You type your company name and pick it from the live Companies House register. The checker reads your company's registered SIC codes and company type, then screens them against the official scheme lists published on GOV.UK: the final BICS Annex A codes, CCA-eligible sectors, the EII sector list, and the charity and residential signals for reduced VAT. It is an indicative screening, not a formal decision; formal eligibility rests with HMRC, the Environment Agency and the Department for Business and Trade.
What does the AI deep research do?
After the SIC screening, you can run an AI deep research pass. It reads your company's website and public records, summarises what the business actually does, and checks that real activity against the scheme-eligible SIC code lists. Where your registered codes undersell the business (a manufacturer registered under a generic holding-company code, for example), it suggests the eligible codes that genuinely describe your activity and flags scheme signals the code-only screen cannot see. Everything it produces is verified by a specialist before any application is made.
Can I change my registered SIC code?
Yes. SIC codes are self-reported to Companies House and many companies never update them as the business evolves. If your registered codes no longer describe what you actually do, you can correct them on your next confirmation statement, or file a confirmation statement early to update them sooner. The codes must genuinely describe your activity: correcting a stale code so it reflects reality is routine housekeeping, and it matters here because scheme screening (including BICS Annex A) starts from your registered codes.
What if my company is close to qualifying?
Talk to us, because we may be able to help. Registered SIC codes are frequently stale or generic, several schemes assess by process or product rather than SIC code, and BICS has an appeals route. A manual review by our team regularly finds entitlements the automated screen cannot see. Even where no scheme fits, most businesses can still cut costs through procurement: our clients typically save 15 to 30 percent by tendering across 30+ suppliers.
Are there grants for business energy costs?
Most national support is not a cash grant but a discount, exemption or levy relief applied to your bills, which is what this checker screens: BICS and the British Industry Supercharger remove renewables policy costs from electricity bills, a Climate Change Agreement discounts the Climate Change Levy, and qualifying use pays 5 percent VAT. That structural relief is usually worth far more per year than one-off grant pots, and unlike grants it does not run out. Local authorities and devolved governments do run occasional capital grant schemes for energy efficiency; those change frequently, and we flag anything relevant during the free assessment.
Can these schemes be combined?
Some can. A CCA discount, reduced VAT where it applies, and demand flexibility revenue can all sit alongside each other. BICS and the British Industry Supercharger cannot be combined: a business eligible for both should take the Supercharger, which is the deeper support. Part of a verified assessment is sequencing the schemes so you claim the strongest combination you are entitled to.
Official sources
Every rule this checker applies comes from a tier-one source: GOV.UK, Ofgem, NESO or Parliament. All links verified on 16 July 2026.
British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme
Climate Change Agreements
Climate Change Levy
Reduced VAT on energy
British Industry Supercharger / EII exemption
UK ETS and CPS compensation
Demand flexibility
Policy context
Close to qualifying? We may be able to help
A specialist will verify every scheme against your actual sites, products and processes, lodge the paperwork, and tender your supply contracts across 30+ suppliers at the same time. No fee, no obligation.