Heat Network (Metering and Billing) Regulations 2014: proposed amendments
Download the full outcome
Detail of outcome
The government response sets out the new requirements for heat suppliers, and the changes we have made to the proposals in response to feedback. These include:
- the length of the period for heat suppliers to implement the requirements to 21 months
- updating the cost effectiveness methodology and associated tool to allow heat suppliers to more accurately reflect estimated savings and costs for their buildings
- modifying the building classes to take account of cost and benefit considerations for specific types of housing and properties
The Heat Network (Metering and Billing) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 were laid in parliament on 6 November 2020 and come into force on 27 November 2020.
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) will then publish on this page:
- detailed guidance about the requirements and the compliance and notification timelines
- updated notification template and cost-effectiveness assessment tool
- information about planned events to support heat suppliers
Also relevant to heat suppliers is our wider work to protect consumers and grow the market for heat networks – the next step in government plans to reach net zero emissions by 2050. We launched the Heat Networks Market Framework consultation in February 2020, which closed on 1 June 2020. We will publish the government response to the consultation later this year.
Detail of feedback received
We received 54 responses to this consultation, from a range of stakeholders including: local authorities, social and other housing providers, metering and other businesses, trade associations, property management companies, bodies representing consumers, and individuals.
The responses were broadly positive, but raised concerns relating to:
- the proposed 6-month period for implementing the requirements
- the impact of metering and billing requirements on specific types of housing and vulnerable customers
- the new cost-effectiveness assessment tool
Original consultation
Consultation description
The closing date for this consultation is now 11:45pm on 24 January 2020 (extended due to the election period and to allow additional time for stakeholder review of technical components).
This consultation sets out proposals to amend the Heat Network (Metering and Billing) Regulations to ensure, where technically feasible and cost-effective, that:
- final consumption metering devices are installed on heat and cooling networks
- billing is based on consumption
16 December 2019: Technical annex added
In response to requests from stakeholders we have published a technical appendix to this consultation. It contains an extract from the draft user guide, and provides additional information about the draft metering cost-effectiveness assessment tool. The tool itself is currently being tested and may be amended following the consultation.
Please read the appendix together with the consultation and integrate your comments on the tool in your response. If you have already responded, you can send further comments to: heatnetworks@beis.gov.uk.
The consultation seeks views on the introduction of 3 building classes to which a range of categories of buildings are assigned:
- the ‘Viable’ class (meters must be installed)
- the ‘Exempt’ class (meters not required)
- the ‘Open’ class (meters or heat cost allocators required if cost-effective)
We are consulting further on the proposed updated methodology and associated tool for assessing the cost-effectiveness of meter installations for buildings in the ‘Open’ class.
We also propose to extend the scope of the current requirements on meter accuracy, maintenance and billing to all installed metering devices.
We would like views from:
- heat suppliers
- businesses supporting metering and billing
- landlords
- local authorities and housing associations with heat networks
- consumer groups
- consumers on heat networks
- the wider heat network industry
Documents
Last updated 6 November 2020 + show all updates
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Government response published, along with accompanying final consultation impact assessment.
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Consultation close date extended until 24 January, to allow time for further consideration of technical annex.
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In response to requests from stakeholders we have published a technical appendix containing an extract from the draft user guide. This provides additional information about the draft metering cost-effectiveness assessment tool. The tool itself is currently being tested and may be amended following the consultation. Please integrate your comments on the tool in your response or send to heatnetworks@beis.gov.uk.
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The closing date for this consultation is now 11:45pm on 9 January 2020 (extended from 12 December 2019 due to the election period).
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First published.