The Office for National Statistics (ONS) aims to complete its classification review of the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) during August 2022, following the earlier announcement in our Forward work plan (XLS, 122KB) and the publication of the Government response to the technical consultation on the Energy Bills Support Scheme on 29 July 2022.

The EBSS is part of a wider package of support for households announced by the government on 3 February 2022 to help meet the rising cost of living including increasing energy bills. Following a further government announcement on 26 May 2022, domestic energy customers in Great Britain will now receive a £400 discount on their bills from autumn 2022. The government is also planning equivalent support for Northern Ireland energy customers, but these details are not yet available.

Once the classification review of the EBSS has been completed, the ONS will consider whether it affects consumer price inflation statistics, such as the Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers' housing costs (CPIH), Consumer Prices Index (CPI) and Retail Prices Index (RPI). If so, the ONS will consider how the treatment can be consistently incorporated into those statistics. Further information about this aspect is also expected to be announced on 31 August 2022. This is the same day that the classification decision is planned to be updated and published in the latest update section of our Public sector classification guide (XLS, 2.9MB).