Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that operators of heat networks provide transparent billing and fair pricing to consumers.

In January, we introduced Ofgem as the market regulator for heat networks. Heat network operators and suppliers are now required to demonstrate compliance with Ofgem’s Authorisation Conditions, including those on billing transparency and fair pricing.

Ofgem will be collecting data in the first year of regulation which will then be used to inform pricing benchmarks in 2027.

We are currently consulting on mandating minimum technical standards, including proposals to extend heat network metering to enable accurate and transparent billing to more consumers.