Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what regulations apply to district heating schemes to protect consumers.

The Heat Network (Metering and Billing) Regulations 2014 aims to bring benefits to heat network consumers by increasing the number of metered properties and providing more transparent metering and billing information. Under the regulations, heat suppliers are required to install meters and base bills on actual consumption, where it is cost effective and technically feasible to do so, and for all consumers they must clearly set out how the bill was calculated. Heat network customers are also covered by general consumer protection and competition law.

We welcome the work of the heat network industry to bring in elements of self-regulation, by establishing the ‘Heat Trust’, an independent customer protection scheme that draws upon and seeks to set equivalent terms of service as offered to gas and electric customers. The industry has also developed a voluntary Code of Practice, which establishes minimum standards for the design, installation and operation of heat networks.