Improvement relief and Heat Network relief

Improvement relief 

If you make certain improvements to your property, you may get relief from higher business rates bills. You don't need to apply for improvement relief or do anything differently. If you meet the necessary requirements, your council will apply the relief to your bills. 

You can find out more about which improvements are eligible by looking at the Gov.UK business rates relief page. 

If you have questions about a certificate of qualifying works, please contact the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) at the email address on your certificate. Please note that the VOA can't answer queries about the occupation condition or your business rates bill. 

FAQs

What is improvement relief? 

  • Improvement relief supports businesses who have invested in their property
  • It provides relief from higher business rates bills, where the increase in your bill was due to making certain improvements to your property
  • The relief lasts for 12 months from when the improvement works were completed

Who is eligible for improvement relief? Do I need to apply for it?

  • You don't need to apply for improvement relief or do anything differently
  • Your local council will apply the relief to your bills if you're eligible 
  • To be eligible for improvement relief, you must: 
    • Have qualifying improvement works, and 
    • Meet the occupation condition

How does improvement relief work?

You'll receive a certificate from the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) if you have qualifying works. The VOA will give the same information to your local council. 

Your council will apply the relief and send you a revised bill if they're satisfied that you meet the occupation requirements. This means that you have occupied the property during and after the improvement works. 

I've received a certificate from the VOA – what does this mean? 

If you've received a certificate of qualifying works from the VOA, this means that you may be eligible for improvement relief. Improvement relief provides relief from higher business rates bills, where the increase in your bill was due to making certain improvements to your property. The VOA will send this information to your local council. 

Your local council will apply the relief to your business rates bill if you also meet the occupation condition. 

I think my certificate for improvement relief is wrong. Who should I contact? 

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) values qualifying works and issues certificates to ratepayers. There's no right of appeal against the certified values, however, you should let the VOA know if you think there's something wrong with your certificate. 

You can contact the VOA using the email address on your letter. 

Heat network relief 

You can get heat network relief if your property is only used or mainly used as a ‘heat network’. A heat network supplies heating or cooling to other properties from a central source. To be eligible, the heat network must:

  • Take its energy from a low carbon source
  • Supply heating and cooling to other properties - for example, homes, shops, public buildings, hospitals and offices

The heat network must not supply heat or cooling for industrial use - for example, to create products in factories.