Up until 27 January 2026, the Great Britain’s heat network sector relied on a voluntary consumer-protection scheme. Now, Ofgem has officially been appointed regulator for heat networks, providing stronger protections for over 500,000 heat network customers.
How am I protected as a consumer?
The introduction of heat network regulation across England, Wales and Scotland in January means that heat network customers now have access to better protections that are more aligned with those using more traditional heat methods such as standalone gas boilers or direct electric heating.
The new regulations give Ofgem the power to act if customers aren’t getting the best deal on their heating and hot water provision. This covers issues such as:
- Unfair energy bill price hikes
- Poor service, including outages and other network issues
- Unclear billing, hidden fees, and unexplained monthly charges
- Supplier standards and customer service, including issues such as a lack of transparency or clear communication with residents and other customers.
The new regulations place special emphasis on protecting vulnerable customers. Elderly customers or those living with health conditions will be added to a new priority services register, making sure they’re reconnected as soon as possible in the event of an outage or disruption.
Ofgem has also developed a policy on financial penalties and consumer redress when issues occur. This will ensure greater accountability for those operating heat networks if their customers aren’t getting the best deal on their heating provision.
Who to contact if there’s an issue
As part of the new heat network regulations, consumers can expect greater transparency about how their heat network operates and who to contact if they have a complaint or maintenance issue.
Ofgem highlighted that the new protections will ensure consumers are better able to understand their bills and provide them with renewed confidence that their prices are fair and their heat supply is reliable.
Consumers connected to existing schemes now have several methods to raise a complaint about their heat network.
Consumer Advocacy Bodies
Citizens Advice has produced advice and advocacy services for consumers on how to raise a complaint, and who to talk to when a problem arises in England and Wales. Consumer Scotland is offering similar support for residents in Scotland.
The platforms outline when to contact a landlord or heat network supplier, what to do if a customer’s heating or hot water stops working, the different types of issues that could occur to a resident’s system, and how to complain when an issue goes unresolved. These consumer bodies also work closely with the regulator (Ofgem) and Ombudsman services, offering insight into common issues across the market that can feed into future regulatory development.
Ombudsman Services
The Energy Ombudsman can be classed as the next level of escalation. They handle complaints from consumers that have not been satisfactorily resolved after a consumer has contacted their landlord or heat network supplier.
The Ombudsman will investigate complaints raised to them, make judgements, demand redress where necessary, and report any systemic issues to Ofgem. There are several other Ombudsman schemes, including the Housing Ombudsman. If a customer’s complaint relates to landlord disputes or wider housing issues, then the complaint will be passed onto the Housing Ombudsman to resolve.
Code Manager and Ofgem Registration
The Energy Act 2003 provides Ofgem with new powers to select and licence code managers. These code managers are responsible for delivering a framework of technical standards to improve the performance and efficiency of heat networks over time and ensure compliance with these frameworks.
They will also ensure that heat network assessors are fully equipped to ensure standards are met, setting requirements on how they determine a network’s design, operation and maintenance lifecycle.
Ofgem has also announced that heat network operators and suppliers will need to register with the Ofgem Digital Service by January 2027. Currently, operating heat networks have been granted automatic authorisation to continue supplying heating, cooling, and hot water, but will need to be officially registered by 26th January 2027, confirming they comply with the new regulations.
Operators and suppliers of new heat networks built from 2026 will also require Ofgem authorisation, protecting consumers and complying with tight new operational standards. Operators and suppliers of relevant heat networks will need to provide Ofgem with details about their heat network’s organisation, ownership, financial resilience, and consumer protection arrangements.
Heat Network Technical Assurance Scheme (HNTAS)
Alongside stronger consumer protections for those connected to heat networks, the Government consulted earlier this year on the introduction of new regulatory heat network technical standards. These will focus on heat network performance, while strengthening accountability for those involved in the planning, construction, management, and maintenance of new heat networks.
HNTAS will work towards creating a district heating sector held to high standards from planning all the way through to operation and maintenance.
Where does HNES come in?
The Heat Network Efficiency Scheme (HNES) is here to support existing communal or district heat networks that are operating inefficiently or operating at a detriment to the customer. The scheme was also set up to support heat networks to comply with sector regulations and upcoming technical standards.
Heat network owners and operators can apply for grant funding through the scheme to identify the causes of network issues, and to rectify these issues with infrastructure upgrades such as improved pipework, plant room upgrades, modernised Building Management Systems (BMS) or tertiary network controls.
If you’re interested in applying for support under the scheme, visit our how to apply webpage.