What is heat network registration, and why is Ofgem asking for it?
Heat network registration is the process that tells Ofgem who runs each heat network, who owns it and how it protects customers. Ofgem says operators and suppliers of relevant heat networks must give it details about their heat network’s organisation, ownership, financial resilience and consumer protection arrangements by 26 January 2027.
A heat network provides heating, cooling and hot water to more than one property from a central source, using pipes, heat interface units and energy centres. Ofgem says operators control and maintain the network, while suppliers provide customers with heat and are their main point of contact. One organisation can be both.
Ofgem regulates heat networks in Great Britain, meaning England, Scotland and Wales. Its stated aims are good customer service, reducing the impact of reliability of supply issues, transparent and easy to understand bills, and fair pricing. Heat network registration is how it builds the picture it needs to do that.
Key takeaways
- Heat network operators and suppliers must register with Ofgem by 26 January 2027, according to Ofgem.
- The Energyst counted 782 networks on Ofgem’s first monthly list, which it put at 5.5% of the more than 14,000 heat networks Ofgem estimates exist.
- Nothing changes for residents in the meantime, because Ofgem says all operating heat networks have already been automatically authorised to keep supplying heat.
- If you live on a heat network, free advice and complaint routes now exist through Citizens Advice, Consumer Scotland and the Energy Ombudsman.
How many heat networks have completed registration so far?
Ofgem has begun publishing a monthly list of registered heat networks. Reporting on the first of those lists on 30 October 2026, The Energyst counted 782 registered networks, which it put at 5.5% of the total. Ofgem estimates there are more than 14,000 heat networks in the UK, so the great majority had not registered at that point.
Two notes on that number, because the reporting is not tidy. The 782 count is The Energyst’s, taken from Ofgem’s list rather than published by Ofgem as a headline figure. And at the same event, Ofgem’s director of heat networks, Helena Charlton, referred to around 750 heat networks being fully registered, which is a slightly different measure from the count of entries on the list. Either way the picture is the same: a small fraction of the estimated total, with the deadline approaching.
Speaking at a heat networks conference reported on 30 October, Charlton said operators had only 96 days left and that signs of foot dragging would not be acceptable. Counting from today, 4 November 2026, the deadline is under 12 weeks away. According to the same report, operators who miss it may face enforcement action and financial penalties.
The Energyst also reports that two thirds of the estimated 14,000 heat networks are owned and operated by social landlords, and quotes the energy consultancy FairHeat, led by Gareth Jones, which believes registration will ultimately show many more than 14,000 networks in the UK. Those are reported estimates rather than Ofgem figures, so treat them as a guide.
We covered the wider rules in our earlier piece on heat network rules and Ofgem’s new powers. This update is about how slowly heat network registration has started, not a change to the rules themselves.
Why does the pace matter? A regulator that does not know who runs a network cannot check how customers are treated. For residents, though, slow heat network registration is a reason for patience rather than alarm, because Ofgem says all operating networks have already been automatically authorised to continue supplying heating, cooling or hot water. That is called deemed authorisation, and it means nobody loses their heating because their operator has not filed paperwork.
What does heat network registration mean if you live on one?
For most residents, nothing changes overnight. Registration is paperwork between the operator or supplier and Ofgem, so you will not be asked to do anything. What matters is what it leads to: Ofgem will know who is responsible for your network and can check that consumer protection arrangements are in place.
It is also worth being clear about what registration is not. It is not a price check, and it does not change what you pay. Ofgem describes registration as providing details about organisation, ownership, financial resilience and consumer protection arrangements. The wider rules are being introduced in phases.
Ofgem says that so far, Citizens Advice, Consumer Scotland and the Energy Ombudsman have launched advocacy, advice and redress services for heat network customers. Ofgem has also published a set of rules for heat network operators and suppliers, called authorisation conditions.
If an organisation’s role includes supply, Ofgem says it must also register with the Energy Ombudsman’s heat network supplier scheme. That gives customers a route for unresolved complaints. You can read Ofgem’s own heat networks page for the full picture, including the register itself.
What can you do if you are on a heat network?
Start by finding out who your supplier is, because Ofgem describes the supplier as your main point of contact. Your bill or your landlord should say. Keep your bills and any correspondence about heating, hot water or outages.
Ofgem says its rules aim for transparent, easy to understand bills. If your heat bill is hard to follow, ask your supplier to explain each charge in writing. If you cannot get a clear answer, you can use the complaint routes below.
If something goes wrong, raise it with the supplier first. If it is not resolved, the advice and redress services Ofgem mentions are there for heat network customers. Citizens Advice, Consumer Scotland and the Energy Ombudsman can help, depending on where you live and the issue.
You can also ask your landlord or supplier whether the network has completed heat network registration. They do not have to answer in any particular way, but it is a fair question given the January deadline. If you are not on a heat network, your gas and electricity tariff is a separate matter.
Frequently asked questions about heat network registration
- What is heat network registration?
- It is the process by which heat network operators and suppliers give Ofgem details of their organisation, ownership, financial resilience and consumer protection arrangements. Ofgem says the deadline is 26 January 2027.
- Do I need to register my heat network connection?
- No. Registration is for the operators and suppliers of heat networks, not for residents.
- Will my heating stop if my network has not registered?
- No. Ofgem says all operating heat networks have been automatically authorised to continue supplying heating, cooling or hot water, which is known as deemed authorisation.
- Who regulates heat networks?
- Ofgem regulates heat networks in Great Britain, meaning England, Scotland and Wales.
- Where can I get help with a heat network complaint?
- Ofgem says Citizens Advice, Consumer Scotland and the Energy Ombudsman have launched advice, advocacy and redress services for heat network customers.
Sources
- Ofgem, Heat networks supports the 26 January 2027 deadline, the information operators and suppliers must provide, deemed authorisation for all operating networks, the Great Britain scope, the Citizens Advice, Consumer Scotland and Energy Ombudsman services, the Energy Ombudsman heat network supplier scheme, the authorisation conditions and Ofgem’s stated aims.
- The Energyst, 30 October 2026 supports the count of 782 registered networks and the 5.5% figure, Helena Charlton’s “96 days” remark and her reference to around 750 fully registered networks, the warning about enforcement action and penalties, the two thirds social landlord estimate and FairHeat’s view that the final total will exceed 14,000. The 782 count and the percentage are The Energyst’s, not figures published by Ofgem.
Checked 4 November 2026.
