The group that represents Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) claimants is preparing for its next legal challenge over cuts that were introduced to previously guaranteed payments.

At its annual general meeting in Cookstown last Thursday, Renewable Heat Association (RHANI) members agreed to proceed with a hearing in the Court of Appeal which is scheduled for next month.

It follows two unsuccessful legal challenges that have been heard in the High Court in recent years.

The latest was in October 2021 when a case was taken forward by Ballymoney poultry producer Tom Forgrave on behalf of RHANI.

This case challenged the second set of tariff cuts which were introduced in 2019 and saw annual payments for a standard 99kW biomass boiler reduce from £12,140 to £2,340.

A separate High Court case was also unsuccessful in Belfast back in December 2017. It surrounded the first set of cuts which came into effect earlier that year and involved the introduction of tiered tariffs and an overall payment cap.

Consensus

According to RHANI executive chair Andrew Trimble, the overwhelming consensus among his 400 members is to keep proceeding with legal action over the tariff cuts.

He is also urging RHANI members, who represent around half of all RHI accredited boilers in NI, to lobby local politicians to abandon any plans that they have to close down the scheme entirely.

“The previous Executive was set to ignore all three of its consultation processes and, in the face of an energy and environmental crisis, promote reversion to fossil fuels,” Trimble said.