On a heat network? Citizens Advice can help
Today Citizens Advice launches a brand-new advice service, offering tailored support for heat network consumers. Until now people who heat their home via a heat network have had less access to support and complaints processes than people who use gas or electric heating in their home.
To tackle these protection gaps we’ve been calling for heat networks to be regulated since 2017. Following a Consumer Market Authority study in 2018, the government recognised heat network consumers were struggling with poor service and weak protections, and passed laws. These appointed the energy regulator Ofgem to create new heat network protections, which will be introduced from January 2026. This legislation also made us the statutory consumer champion.
We’re the official consumer champion for heat network consumers from April 2025
From today, we’re the statutory advocate and advice provider for heat network consumers in England and Wales. We’ll begin providing advice to heat network consumers via a specialist team in our Consumer Service. The service will be telephone-only initially, with plans to explore additional channels later in the year — you can contact an adviser on 0808 223 1133. Advice Direct Scotland will provide similar support for consumers in Scotland.
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We have new advice on our website about what consumers can do when struggling with heat networks problems — like advice on billing errors, which is one of the most common issues heat network consumers need help with.
We already help people with heat network issues via our general helpline which points to some of the other problems people encounter — including debt and disconnection. Our new service and our official role as consumer champion will help us collect more data and better understand the issues consumers need help with.
As Ofgem and the government continue to finalise their new regulations, we’ll use this insight to make the case for protections which meet consumer needs. We’ll also engage with the industry to understand what’s driving issues and to identify and share best practice.
From today, heat network consumers also have improved access to alternative dispute resolution if they have an unresolved complaint, via the Energy Ombudsman. Tenants or leaseholders of social landlords can still get help from other dispute resolution services. These include the Housing Ombudsman, the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales and LEASE. Our advisers can help you decide which path to follow.
New rules to protect heat network consumers from January 2026
The new advice service will develop over time, as we learn more about user needs and as new consumer protections for heat networks kick in from January 2026, which will expand the rights consumers have when they encounter problems. For example, heat network providers will have to provide clearer bills. Bills will have to include a clear explanation of how charges are calculated, and signpost to a range of ways consumers can get help. Providers will also have to maintain a Priority Services Register. This means keeping a record of consumers in vulnerable circumstances and providing them with extra forms of support.
Once these and lots of other rules are in place, heat network consumers will have similar protections to those gas and electricity consumers have expected for years. Our top priority is to make sure heat network consumers get the same, or better, outcomes than other energy consumers. In the meantime, our statutory advice and representation can start to turn the tide.
