The British Industry Supercharger (BIS) is a government scheme designed to support key industries by reducing their energy costs. Here we help you understand who is eligible, and how it works.
(For a rundown of all the government support schemes for energy intensive industries, check out our EII guide.)
What’s the British Industry Supercharger for?
The BIS is intended to reduce electricity costs for energy-intensive manufacturers in certain important sectors. It works by giving businesses a discount on the prices they pay for electricity.
It’s part of the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy, which is designed to support key sectors of the UK economy. The Supercharger is one of several measures in the strategy.
How does the British Industry Supercharger work?
The Supercharger works by allowing energy-intensive businesses in specific sectors to pay lower charges on their electricity bills than most other UK businesses.
In the UK, most business energy bills include non-commodity costs as well as the cost of the actual energy. The British Industry Supercharger includes relief on two significant charges:
- Renewable energy levies, supporting the build-out of renewable generation sources
- Network charging costs (NCCs), towards the costs of building, running and upgrading the GB electricity networks
As of June 2026, the levels of exemption for eligible businesses are:
- Renewable energy levies: 100% exemption
- NCCs: up to 90% compensation
Previous schemes offered various levels of relief on green levies, but the Supercharger is the first to allow businesses to avoid these charges completely.
The level of NCC compensation used to be 60%, but it rose to 90% in April 2026.
Who gets the British Industry Supercharger?
To be eligible for the British Industry Supercharger, you have to hold a valid Energy Intensive Industries (EII) certificate. Business can only get an EII certificate if they have high electricity costs and operate within specific sectors. The government’s methodology takes into account energy intensity and trading competitiveness when choosing which sectors to include.
We explain the criteria in our guide: Who is eligible for EII exemptions?
The Department for Business and Trade periodically publishes lists of all the eligible companies. The latest list, from March 2026, names 586 UK businesses.
Does the British Industry Supercharger apply automatically?
No. If your business doesn’t already have an EII certificate, you first need to apply for one.
Official guidance and link to apply for an EII certificate
Certificates are usually supposed to be renewed every year, but it depends on factors like how long your business has been trading. (How long is an EII exemption certificate valid for?)
The renewable levies exemption part of the Supercharger kicks in once your business has a valid EII certificate.
The NCC compensation part requires some extra steps as well as the EII certificate.
Applying for the NCC Compensation portion of the Supercharger
The Network Charging Costs compensation scheme is administered by Elexon and you need to apply through their web portal.
Payments are not made automatically – you need to apply afresh every quarter.
Online portal to register for Network Charging Compensation
You have to make each quarterly application in a specific month-long window.
It then takes almost a year for your compensation to come through. This is partly to allow time for corrections and partly because Elexon first needs to invoice suppliers for the money. Elexon has published a payment schedule so you know when to expect your compensation. There’s also guidance to help you with applying.
How long will the British Industry Supercharger last?
The Supercharger is a key part of the Modern Industrial Strategy. There is currently no expiry date because it wasn’t designed as a temporary measure.
The BIS is one of many schemes designed to keep UK manufacturing competitive, and the policy landscape is always changing. So our guide to government support for energy intensive industries is regularly updated.
For advice on checking your eligibility and applying for any government relief scheme, get in touch with Sustainable Energy First via the form below.
If you’d like more information any on of the mentioned EII funding, please get in touch for a no-obligation chat with our experts at Sustainable Energy First.