Business rates discounts
Renewable energy generation relief scheme
The Renewable Energy Relief Scheme provides non-domestic rates relief. This is available to renewable energy producers who are solely concerned with the production of heat or power (or both) from the following sources:
- Biomass
- Biofuels
- Fuel cells
- Photovoltaics
- Water (including waves and tides, but excluding production from the pumped storage of water)
- Wind
- Solar power
- Geothermal sources
Heat or power produced by Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems is not classed as renewable, unless that system uses only sources of energy described in the points above and has an electrical capacity of 50 kilowatts or less.
Qualifying renewable properties with community investment which receives a specified monetary return qualify as below:
- Rateable value - £145,000 or less - 100 per cent rate relief
- Rateable value -more than £145,000 but not exceeding £430,000 - 50 per cent rate relief
- Rateable value -more than £430,000 but not exceeding £860,000 - 25 per cent rate relief
- Rateable value -more than £860,000 but not exceeding £4,000,000 - 10 per cent rate relief
- Rateable value -more than £4,000,000 - 2.5 per cent rate relief
Qualifying renewable hydro properties operated by a ratepayer with no community investment are entitled to the following levels.
- Ratebale value under £5,000,000 - 60% relief
Please contact the Rates Team for further details. Reapplication is required each rating year.
Renewable energy relief is likely to be considered as subsidy under the rules of the Subsidy Control Act 2022 and you will be asked about any subsidy recevied when you complete the application form.