Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have plans to amend the terms of the Electricity Generator Levy to make it comparable with the equivalent regime relating to fossil fuels, including in the area of investment relief; and if so, when.

The Electricity Generator Levy (EGL) and the Energy Profits Levy (EPL) have different tax bases and combined rates. The EPL applies to oil and gas producers, and is charged at 35% on total profits, whereas the EGL is charged only on the portion of returns that are extraordinary. Also, the EPL applies on top of the default 40% headline tax rate applied to this sector and is expected to raise considerably more in revenues than the EGL.

The EGL applies above a benchmark price which is set at a level approximately 50% more than the average electricity price over the last decade and will be indexed to inflation. There is a £10 million allowance, below which the levy will not be charged. Electricity generators will continue to be able to claim relief for their investments from the corporation tax they pay.

The EGL is not intended to penalise electricity generators; it is a response to some electricity generators realising extraordinary returns from higher electricity prices because of unforeseen geopolitical events. This levy leaves them with a share of the upside they receive at times of high wholesale prices which they can use to invest in the clean energy generation.