Guides
Start here
- 01
Heat network zoning explained for building owners
What heat network zoning is, which buildings it covers, what happens if you get a connection notice, and what is law versus proposal, in plain English.
5 min read
Verified 8 November 2026 - 02
Is my building in a heat network zone?
How heat network zones will be identified, why no building is legally in a zone yet, what the early schemes mean for you, and how to keep track of your council.
7 min read
Verified 8 November 2026 - 03
The 100 MWh threshold: how to work out your heat demand
How to turn your gas or heat bills into an annual heat demand figure, and check it against the proposed 100 MWh a year zoning threshold for non-domestic buildings.
7 min read
Verified 8 November 2026
If you get a notice
- 04
You've received a connection notice: the 6-month clock
What a heat network connection notice will mean, who sends it, how the 6-month agreement phase and connection window work, and a month-by-month plan.
6 min read
Verified 8 November 2026 - 05
Heat network zoning exemptions and deferrals: who qualifies and how to apply
The six proposed grounds for a heat network zoning exemption, how temporary exemptions work, what evidence to prepare, and when an exemption isn't the best outcome.
6 min read
Verified 8 November 2026 - 06
What heat network connection actually costs and who pays
The real cost components of connecting a commercial building to a heat network, what you avoid, how to compare fairly over 20 years, and who pays.
6 min read
Verified 8 November 2026
Making the decision
- 07
Heat network vs your own heat pump: an honest comparison for commercial buildings
An even-handed comparison of connecting to a heat network versus installing your own heat pump: cost, space, noise, grid capacity, risk, carbon and zoning.
7 min read
Verified 8 November 2026 - 08
Heat network zoning for landlords and leaseholders
How heat network zoning could affect let buildings with communal heating, who is likely to be responsible, what your leases say, and the Ofgem rules that already apply.
7 min read
Verified 8 November 2026 - 09
How to choose the best heat network consultant (and what they should cost)
The types of heat network consultant, what to ask them, conflicts of interest and red flags, and how to scope the work and compare fixed-fee quotes fairly.
7 min read
Verified 8 November 2026
Dates, development and regulation
- 10
Heat network zoning timeline: every date that matters, 2023–2030
Every confirmed and expected date for heat network zoning and heat network regulation in England, year by year, with what is law, what is policy and what is still unknown.
7 min read
Verified 8 November 2026 - 11
Heat network zoning for developers and planning applicants
How heat network zoning is expected to affect new buildings, why timing against designation matters, and how to design a scheme that can connect to district heating.
8 min read
Verified 8 November 2026 - 12
Ofgem regulation, HNTAS and what operators must do by 2027
Ofgem now regulates heat networks across Great Britain. What changed in January 2026, who counts as an operator, the January 2027 registration deadline and what HNTAS will add.
6 min read
Verified 8 November 2026
Looking for a definition? Try the glossary.