The UK will extend its Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) for non-domestic customers in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the country's department for Business, Energy & Industrial strategy said in a statement on Thursday.

The scheme will provide a discount on gas and electricity unit prices for non-domestic customers like businesses, voluntary sector organizations such as charities, and public sector organizations such as schools, hospitals and care homes.

The government will also provide a fixed payment of 150 pounds ($180) to all non-domestic consumers that are not on the gas grid or use alternative fuels, with "top-up" payments for large users of heating oil based on usage.

The extension of the energy price support scheme comes at a time when energy-intensive businesses in the country are struggling with the soaring cost of power.

($1 = 0.8315 pounds) (Reporting by Gokul Pisharody in Bengaluru; Editing by Tom Hogue)