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Information For Customers NOT on Heat Trust Registered Sites

Complaint

While Heat Trust acts as a consumer champion for the heat networks sector, we're not an advice service, campaign organisation or charity. Citizens Advice (for England and Wales) and Advice Direct Scotland provide free advice to consumers about heat network issues. Please contact these organisations for general advice and assistance as follows:

Heat Trust can’t intervene in individual consumer complaints and you should always complain directly to your heat supplier in the first instance. If after eight weeks you’re still not satisfied with the outcome, or you’ve received an earlier ‘deadlock’ letter from your supplier, you can take your complaint to the independent Energy Ombudsman free of charge. You can find more information about how to complain here.

The rest of this page provides general information for domestic heat network consumers in Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) who aren’t on Heat Trust registered heat networks.

Before reading on:

  • Confused about what heat networks are? Start with our explanation here.
  • Thinking of moving into a home on a heat network? Read our information here.
  • Looking to understand your heat charges? See here.
  • Want to complain about your heat supplier? See here.
  • Not sure if your heat network’s registered with us? Check here.
  • Want your heat network to register with Heat Trust? Write to your heat supplier, attaching our information sheet that sets out the benefits.
  • On a Heat Trust registered heat network? See here instead for how our Scheme protects you.

Are heat networks regulated?

No. Unlike gas and electricity supply and distribution activities, which are regulated by Ofgem, heat network operators and heat suppliers are currently unregulated (other than some minimum regulatory requirements about metering and billing, which we explain here).

Heat Trust’s voluntary Scheme is currently the only form of regulation for heat networks that sets minimum standards of customer service. As a voluntary Scheme, we can only apply our standards to the specific heat networks that choose to register with us. We want all heat network consumers to be protected in the same way as gas and electricity consumers, so we’ve long advocated for statutory regulation of the sector.

The good news is that government intends to make Ofgem the GB regulator for heat networks from 2026. You can find out more about this planned regulation here.

Are heat prices subject to the Ofgem price cap? And can heat suppliers back-bill?

Because heat networks are unregulated, and are considered by government to be commercial energy supplies, heat prices aren’t covered by the Ofgem domestic price cap for mains gas and electricity consumers. Ofgem’s 12-month limit on gas and electricity back-billing also doesn’t apply to heat charges.

We have a separate webpage about heat charges and heat bills here.

Who is my heat supplier?

The company billing you for your heat charges may not be your contractual heat supplier (by which we mean the entity that has the contractual arrangement with you to supply your hot water and/or heat).

This is because heat suppliers are often building owners and subcontract metering and billing activities to a third party. This third party might be a property managing agent (if your heat charges form part of building service charges) or a dedicated metering and billing agent. Your heat supplier may also subcontract the day-to-day operation and maintenance of the heat network to the same or a different third party.

It’s important to understand that these third parties are just acting on your heat supplier’s instructions, and that it’s your heat supplier who sets your heat prices and billing period and who controls the heat network assets. It’s therefore your heat supplier to whom you need to complain about problems with heat prices, billing periods or supply outages.

If you haven’t been able to get anywhere by complaining to your building managing agent, letting agent, or the company sending you your heat bills, it’s probably because they’re not your actual heat supplier.

If you weren’t given a dedicated heat supply agreement when you moved in, it’s likely that your heat supplier is the owner of your home. This could be a developer, a private freeholder or landlord, a local authority (council) or a housing association. Your residency agreement is likely to form your heat supply contract, especially if your heat charges are included in your rent or your building service charges. You should always check the terms of any legal occupancy agreement and any other contractual information about your heat network, as these should set out your specific rights and responsibilities as well as the name of your heat supplier.

Examples of dedicated metering and billing agents used for heat networks include:

  • Communal Energy Partners
  • Data Energy
  • Energy Centric (Energy Invoicing)
  • Evinox Energy
  • Ginger Energy
  • Insite Energy
  • Ista
  • Switch2*
  • Sycous
  • Vital Energi*
  • Watkins Energy*
  • Welcome Energy
  • With Energy*

*These companies have some heat networks registered with Heat Trust, for which they act as the contractual heat supplier. But they also act as a subcontracted metering and billing agent for other heat networks not registered with Heat Trust, for which they aren’t the heat supplier.

Dedicated metering and billing agents usually have consumer-facing website pages that explain the extent of their responsibilities. You should also check your heat bill or demand for payment to see if it states the name of your heat supplier. It might say something like ‘issued/prepared on behalf of X’, possibly in quite small print.

Where else can I go for help?

As well as Citizens Advice, Advice Direct Scotland and the Energy Ombudsman, the following organisations may be able to help with heat network issues:

  • Shelter, if your heat network issue is part of a wider housing problem such as risk of eviction.
  • Your local MP (who you can contact using the guidance here).
  • Your local councillor (who you can look up here).
  • Your local Trading Standards office (who you can look up here), if your complaint is about unfair trading or unfair contract terms.

 

 

 


The Heat Trust Scheme is operated by Heat Customer Protection Ltd, registered in England and Wales under company number 09456667.
Registered address: Heat Customer Protection Ltd, 6th Floor, 10 Dean Farrar Street, London SW1H 0DX | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.