Heat Trust protection is aimed at heat energy suppliers who contract with metered or unmetered domestic and micro business properties where the heat customer pays their supplier directly for their heat energy. Although voluntary, the Scheme is supported by government as a self-regulation initiative that recognises best practice. To find out more about joining, please click here. 

The Scheme sets customer service standards and customer protection requirements that we expect heat suppliers to provide. These requirements are comparable to the quality and performance standards for regulated utilities (such as gas and electricity) and draw on legislation and industry best practice. As members of the Scheme, suppliers agree to abide by the Scheme Rules and Bye-Laws.

When a heat network is successfully registered with the Heat Trust Scheme, the customers on the heat network will benefit from the standards set by the Scheme. See all sites registered with the Heat Trust Scheme.

The Scheme includes rules on the following:

• Support for vulnerable heat customers
• Heat supplier obligations
• Heat customer service and reporting a fault or emergency
• Process for customers joining and leaving
• Heat meters
• Heat Interface Units (HIUs)
• Heat bill and heat charge calculations
• Heat bill payment arrangements and the management of arrears
• Suspension and resumptions of service processes
• Complaint handling and independent complaint handling
• Privacy policy and data protection

There are three key areas for which Heat Trust does not have the legal authority to comment or prescribe standards. Heat Trust cannot:

• Provide comment or arbitration on pricing
• Provide guidance on contract length
• Provide a supplier of last resort

These three issues are being addressed in the Association For Decentralised Energy's Heat Network Task Force Report  and the Competition and Markets Authority's Heat Networks market study.