With Ofgem appointed as the heat network regulator under the Energy Act 2023, property managers, operators and suppliers are entering a new era of formal oversight, defined responsibilities, and enforceable standards. Heat network compliance is now a formal regulatory responsibility.

The Heat Network Compliance Playbook is a practical guide designed to help senior property managers, operations teams and compliance leads understand what’s changed, what’s coming next, and how to stay compliant without losing control of cost, performance or resident experience.

This page gives you a clear overview of what heat network compliance really means, and how to navigate it confidently.

That has changed.

Under the Energy Act 2023:

• Ofgem has been appointed as the regulator for heat networks
• Suppliers and operators must meet defined Authorisation Conditions
• Consumer protection, transparency and performance are now enforceable
• Non-compliance will carry regulatory and financial consequences

For property managers, this is no longer a “technical issue”. It’s a governance, reputational and operational responsibility.

Successful compliance is not about ticking boxes.
It relies on four connected pillars working together.

Meeting heat network metering requirements is essential for fair billing. Accurate, reliable metering underpins everything:

• Fair billing
• Performance monitoring
• Regulatory reporting
• Resident trust

You can’t manage what you can’t measure. Poor data quality is one of the biggest compliance risks for heat networks today.

Billing must now be:

• Transparent
• Understandable
• Justifiable
• Based on accurate data (actual reads)
• Quarterly

Ofgem and heat network billing regulations place new expectations on transparency and a real emphasis on fairness and clarity for end users, not just system capability.

Heat networks fall within wider building safety and asset management responsibilities.

Maintenance is no longer just about uptime. You need to ensure your maintenance and reporting covers:

• Legal obligations: compliance with health & safety legislation, metering & billing regulations, and Ofgem oversight

• Golden Thread: maintenance creates the evidence base regulators and residents will rely on

• Efficiency & cost control: poorly maintained systems waste energy and inflate bills

• Resident trust: transparent records and rapid response to issues build confidence

• Risk management: avoid fines, reputational damage, and costly emergency repairs

It’s about demonstrating control, competence, compliance and accountability across the lifecycle of the system, while balancing resident expectations and costs.

Real-time insights and regular reporting can transform heat network management – giving you visibility, confidence and control.

Continuous monitoring helps you:

• Spot inefficiencies before they escalate into costly failures
• Benchmark performance across multiple sites
• Track compliance against HNTAS KPIs
• Reduce avoidable callouts and disruption
• Build trust through transparency and data-led decision-making

This includes alignment with frameworks such as HNTAS and preparation for future enforcement.

Heat network regulation is being introduced in phases.

• Deemed authorisation
• Formal registration and reporting
• Ongoing compliance monitoring
• Enforcement and penalties for non-compliance

Understanding where you are on this journey is critical. Waiting until enforcement begins is a high-risk strategy.

From our experience, the biggest risks include:

• Incomplete or missing handover information
• Unclear supplier and operator responsibilities
• Inaccurate or unreliable metering data
• Legacy billing structures that don’t meet new expectations
• Limited visibility of plant performance
• Reactive rather than planned maintenance

These issues are common, but they are solvable with the right approach.

This guide is designed for:

• Senior Property Managers responsible for residential portfolios
• Operations teams overseeing heat network performance
• Compliance leads managing regulatory risk
• Managing agents acting on behalf of heat network suppliers or operators

For property manager heat networks, compliance is no longer optional. If you are involved in decision-making, contractor management, billing oversight or resident communication, this applies to you.

• The regulatory framework in plain English
• Roles, responsibilities and accountability
• Handover requirements and common gaps
• Metering and billing best practice
• Maintenance and safety considerations
• Performance monitoring and KPIs
• Tariffs and cost transparency
• The resident experience
• Practical tools, checklists and guidance 

If you do nothing else:

1. Understand whether you are acting as a supplier, operator, or both
2. Review the quality of your metering and billing data
3. Assess whether your maintenance records would stand up to scrutiny
4. Identify gaps in handover information
5. Put a plan in place now, not later

The Compliance Companion Playbook is designed to help you do exactly that.

Our experts regularly break down what the regulations really mean in practice – and what to watch out for: