The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has published the long-awaited consultation on Heat Network Technical Standards and the proposed Heat Network Technical Assurance Scheme (HNTAS). The consultation sets out how minimum technical standards and a formal assurance framework for heat networks could be introduced across Great Britain.

This consultation has been anticipated for some time. If implemented, it will have significant implications for housing providers that develop, operate, or are considering heat networks, affecting technical requirements, compliance obligations, costs, risk and customer outcomes.

What the Consultation Is Proposing (in brief)

DESNZ is seeking views on a regulatory framework that would:

• Define mandatory technical standards for heat networks, from small communal systems to large, multi-building schemes
• Introduce a formal assurance scheme, including assessment and certification against those standards
• Establish governance roles such as assessors, certifiers and a Code Manager
• Set out approaches to compliance, enforcement, appeals and complaints

 

Alongside the consultation, DESNZ has published draft technical specifications and assessment procedures covering areas such as metering, monitoring, consumer heat systems, substations and network design and operation.

These documents indicate the direction of travel, even though the final shape of HNTAS is not yet fixed.

What This Could Mean for Housing Providers

While details are still under consultation, housing providers should be aware that HNTAS could:

• Introduce new compliance and assurance requirements for both existing and future heat networks
• Affect procurement, design responsibility, handover, operation and ongoing performance management
• Create new evidence, monitoring and reporting expectations
• Have implications for cost recovery, risk allocation and customer communications

 

For many housing organisations, this will intersect directly with existing challenges around legacy networks, consumer satisfaction, retrofit programmes and long-term asset management.

We have been closely tracking the development of HNTAS and the emerging technical standards over several years. As the consultation progresses, we will continue to analyse what is being proposed, what it really means in practice, and where the risks and opportunities lie for housing providers. As always, our role is to advocate for housing providers and their customers in the context of heat networks.

Our focus is on helping housing organisations:

• Understand the implications early
• Avoid unintended consequences
• Make informed, proportionate decisions
• Secure the best possible outcomes for residents

 

We strongly encourage housing providers with heat networks — or plans to develop them — to engage with the consultation, either directly or with informed support. The decisions made through this process will shape the regulatory landscape for years to come.

 

In the meantime, housing providers can sign up to the Chirpy Heat Insight Group for clear, housing-focused updates on HNTAS and heat network regulation, as well as access to independent analysis to help them better prepare for what is likely to come next.

> SIGN UP TO INSIGHT GROUP

 

The consultation closes on 15th April 2026. Full details are available on the UK Government website.