NI Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris has appeared to dismiss the possibility of passing new legislation through Westminster to revise the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme.

In a letter to Simon Hoare, the chair of Westminster’s NI Affairs Committee, Heaton-Harris acknowledged that RHI tariffs need to be raised.

“The Department for the Economy is clear that the tariffs introduced in 2019 have not provided the appropriate incentive for the generation of heat from biomass,” he said.

However, the Conservative MP stated any steps to introduce new legislation on RHI “fall within the competence of the NI Executive and Assembly”.

It follows a ruling by a Belfast court in February, where Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan said a “proper, permanent solution” was needed for RHI participants “over the next number of months, rather than years”.

“It is plain to us that government needs to deal with the RHI scheme going forward by way of compensation or provision of a revised tariff,” she said.

Andrew Trimble from the Renewable Heat Association points out that the current payment rates offered to RHI participants in NI are out of step with tariff rates available in Britain.

“For participants accredited to the national scheme in 2014, the rebate has been adjusted to a tier one tariff of more than 12p/kW and more than 3p/kW at tier two,” he said.

“By comparison, the Department for the Economy has raised the NI tariff for 2023/24 to 2p/kW at tier one and no payment at tier two,” he added.