You cannot hold both. The British Industry Supercharger (BIS) gives a deeper discount but covers a narrow list of the most energy-intensive sectors. BICS covers a far broader list of eligible manufacturing sectors, so it reaches many more businesses. Where a firm appears on both lists, DBT steers it to BIS — but most manufacturers only appear on the BICS lists.
Side by side
| BICS | British Industry Supercharger | |
|---|---|---|
| Eligible list | Broad list of manufacturing sectors | Narrow — most energy-intensive only |
| Who it reaches | Wider pool — ~10,000 firms | Narrow — most energy-intensive only |
| Relief depth | Up to 25% off electricity | Deeper network-charge relief |
| Levies covered | RO, FiT, Capacity Market | RO, FiT, CM + network charges |
| Timing | Apply Oct–Nov 2026; relief 2027 | Live scheme, ongoing |
| Can you stack? | ✗ No — the two cannot be held together | |
The gotcha that costs money
Because the reliefs can’t be stacked, the decision is a genuine either/or — and the wrong choice is expensive in both directions. Firms that assume BIS is always better can miss that their codes aren’t on its narrower list at all; firms that default to BICS can leave deeper relief on the table. Existing EII certificate holders should get a like-for-like comparison before recertifying.
Unsure which route is worth more?
We model both against your actual consumption and band before you commit.