Less than a quarter of housing associations and councils running heat networks are aware of district heating zone regulations, according to a new survey.
The research, carried out for Baxi and outlined in a report published last month, includes a poll of 100 housing associations and 102 councils responsible for managing or operating heat networks. It shows that awareness of regulation is ‘uneven’.
The best-recognised regulations among those surveyed were those concerning metering and billing, at 40%, followed by the Heat Network Technical Assurance Scheme (HNTAS), at 38%. Respondents were least aware of regulations to establish district heating zones, which were only recognised by 24% of those surveyed.
The research also shows that the overwhelming majority of respondents (82%) reported a high or very high understanding of heat networks.
Policy recommendations in the report include a HNTAS implementation roadmap with realistic transitional periods for existing networks.
Jeff House, director of external affairs and policy at Baxi, said: ‘Our ask is for government to provide a clear, phased route to compliance, protect and expand improvement funding, build recognised skills pathways, and ensure that additional costs do not fall unfairly on residents.’
Last month, Ofgem also revealed that only 5.5% of existing heat networks have registered with the regulator. In its first monthly update on registrations it said 782 heat networks have been registered out of more than 14,000 estimated heat networks in the UK.
If operators do not register their heat networks by 26 Jan 2027 they will be in breach of the new regulations and may face enforcement action and financial penalties from Ofgem.
Commenting on the low number of registrations HNTAS managing director Gareth Jones said: ‘Organisations should see the Ofgem registration process as a mechanism to better understand their networks, customers and processes. If done properly, it can be used to help operators begin to identify which heat networks need maintenance and investment.’
