HETAS Registration for Stove, Biomass and Solid Fuel Installers

HETAS is the only competent person scheme specialising in the installation of solid fuel and biomass appliances, and the only specialist organisation approving biomass and solid fuel heating appliances, fuels and services¹. Installing a wood burning stove, a multifuel stove, a solid fuel boiler or a biomass appliance is work controlled under the building regulations, so it has to be signed off by somebody. Using a HETAS registered installer is the route that avoids a separate building control application: a registered installer can self-certify that their work complies, instead of the householder applying for building regulations approval, and there is then no need for a local council or a private approved inspector to check the work³.

In England and Wales it is a legal requirement to notify any solid fuel installation to the relevant Local Authority Building Control, either through a competent person scheme such as HETAS or directly to the council². The HETAS Certificate of Compliance is the document that does that job: it demonstrates that the installation complies with the relevant building regulations, records the installation and notifies Local Authority Building Control, taking the place of a Local Authority Building Notice⁴. Competent person schemes issue a certificate within 8 weeks of completion, and that certificate can be used as evidence of compliance and shows up in solicitors' searches when a home is sold³.

Membership of a competent person scheme is voluntary, and HETAS describes itself as a voluntary scheme for installers to sign up to should they wish⁵. That matters: an installer who is not registered is not acting unlawfully by being unregistered, but the work still has to be notified, and in that case the installer cannot self-certify. The firm or the householder must give notice to the local authority in advance and pay a notification fee⁶. Ultimately, if the work does not comply, it is the owner of the building who may be served with an enforcement notice⁷.

What HETAS registration is: the competent person scheme for solid fuel and biomass

Competent person schemes are a way for tradespeople to prove their ability to carry out certain work to the required standards, instead of the householder applying for building regulations approval³. HETAS occupies that role for solid fuel and biomass: it is the only competent person scheme specialising in the installation of those appliances, and the only specialist organisation approving biomass and solid fuel heating appliances, fuels and services¹. Government guidance listing the competent person schemes covering renewable technologies including heat pumps names APHC, BESCA, Certsure, HETAS, NAPIT and OFTEC⁸.

Approval is not a one-off badge. An applicant's work is assessed to check they meet the level of competence required before approval, and there are then ongoing inspections, yearly for the first two years⁵. Schemes differ in their application processes and their fees, and an installer chooses a scheme that supports their trade or types of work⁵. Membership remains voluntary, and installers who do not join can still use local council or private inspectors instead⁵.

HETAS also runs product-side approval. Its Cleaner Choice Product Approval Scheme gives consumers and installers assurance that a listed appliance meets all the relevant UK regulations, including safety and performance requirements, correct operation and correct installation for HETAS installers⁹. Separately, HETAS has launched a registration scheme for engineers to demonstrate competency in the servicing and maintenance of domestic and commercial biomass appliances, which extends the scheme beyond the initial installation into the appliance's working life¹.

For a household pursuing energy independence, that structure matters in a practical way. A stove or a biomass boiler is one of the few heat sources that can run without a grid connection or a gas supply, but it is also a combustion appliance in a living space with a flue, a hearth and a ventilation requirement. The scheme is the mechanism by which that risk is checked. Further detail on how the various schemes compare sits on the page covering competent person schemes.

Why stove and biomass installations fall under the building regulations

Building regulations set standards for the design and construction of buildings to ensure the safety and health of people in or around those buildings, and also include requirements to ensure that fuel and power is conserved¹⁰. They apply where you put up a new building, extend or alter an existing one, or provide services and fittings in a building, a category that expressly includes fuel burning appliances of any type⁷. The installation or extension of a service or fitting controlled under the regulations is itself defined as building work⁷.

For biomass specifically, the position is stated plainly: if you wish to install a biomass appliance, building regulations apply¹². The same wording appears in Welsh Government guidance¹³. In Northern Ireland, guidance for householders describes the installation of wood burning and multifuel stoves, or any solid fuel appliance, as work that is controlled under the building regulations, as is the relining or installation of flues and chimneys associated with such heat producing appliances¹⁴.

A second principle runs alongside this and often catches people out on older properties. Works must not make other fabric, services and fittings less compliant than they were before, or dangerous¹⁵. The worked example given is replacement double-glazing, which must not make compliance worse in relation to means of escape, air supply for combustion appliances and their flues, and ventilation for health⁷. A household that fits a stove and later replaces its windows can therefore create a compliance problem in the ventilation the stove depends on, even though each job looked separate.

Where a flue is fitted externally, siting rules can also apply. In conservation areas, World Heritage sites, national parks, areas of outstanding natural beauty and the Broads, the flue should not be fitted on the principal or side elevation if it fronts a highway¹⁶. Installation of a flue should be carried out by a suitably qualified installer¹⁷. Building regulations approval is a separate matter from planning permission, and neither substitutes for the other¹⁰.

What a registered installer can self-certify, and what they cannot

Approved installers who join a competent person scheme can self-certify certain types of building work, instead of getting building regulations approval⁵. The consequence for the householder is direct: there is no need to get a local council to check the work, and no need to get a private approved building inspector to check it either⁵. Planning Portal guidance on fitting a log burner states that it is recommended that you use a HETAS-registered installer who can certify the work¹⁸. A registered installer is approved to carry out the work to comply with building regulations without involving local authority building control, and a certificate is issued on completion¹⁹.

The boundary is the installer's own work. HETAS is unambiguous:

That closes off the most common workaround, which is asking a registered installer to notify a stove fitted by an unregistered fitter or by the householder. Where the installer is not registered, they cannot self-certify, and the firm or the household must give notice to the local authority of the intention to carry out the work in advance and pay a notification fee⁶. The equivalent rule is stated across other technologies: where work is not done by a person registered with the competent person scheme, the relevant building control authority must be notified²⁰.

Self-certification is also limited by scheme scope. An installer registers for the trade and types of work their scheme supports⁵. Solid fuel fired boilers require an installer registered with the competent person schemes, and the same guidance applies separately to oil fired boilers²¹, where OFTEC registration is the relevant route. Electrical work associated with an installation is a further distinct matter: a qualified installer, registered or not, should give a signed BS 7671 electrical safety certificate for all types of electrical work²².

The certificate issued on completion, and how it shows up when a home is sold

Under a competent person scheme, the installer should both notify the local authority of the work and issue a certificate of compliance with building regulations, either directly or through their scheme operator²³. When work is complete you will receive a certificate showing the work was done by a registered installer²⁴. The certificate arrives within 8 weeks of completion, can be used as evidence of compliance, and will show up in solicitors' searches if you come to sell your home³.

For solid fuel, the specific document is the HETAS Certificate of Compliance. It demonstrates that the installation complies with the relevant building regulations, and the information on it is used to record the installation and notify Local Authority Building Control in England and Wales, taking the place of a Local Authority Building Notice⁴. Guidance on selling a property lists a Building Regulations Completion Certificate from the installation contractor for notifiable work as something that should be provided when the property is sold²⁶.

HETAS lists the items that should be in place before a newly installed appliance is used:

• A notice plate²
• A carbon monoxide alarm²
• The manufacturer's instructions²

An operating manual for the installed appliance should also be received, and many manuals can be found through the HETAS Approved Product search or from the manufacturer⁴. After servicing by a HETAS Approved Servicing Technician, a servicing and safety record sheet is presented to the homeowner, confirming any remedial work required and what checks and tests were carried out during the service²⁵.

If a Certificate of Compliance is wrong, the route depends on age and registration status.

Competent person schemes also carry insurance-backed guarantees and complaints procedures if there is a problem with the work³. What those cover in practice is set out on the pages for insurance-backed guarantees and the certificates issued on completion.

The Approved Biomass Maintenance Scheme: servicing and boiler notification

Installation is only half the picture for a biomass boiler. HETAS runs a scheme recognising competent maintenance businesses and individuals that can carry out manufacturers' required appliance maintenance¹. Its original purpose was to meet the requirements placed on commercial, non-domestic, Renewable Heat Incentive recipients to prove their appliance is properly maintained¹. HETAS states that, in line with the amended regulations, it operates the only scheme registering competent maintenance businesses that can provide evidence of satisfactory planned preventative maintenance²⁷.

Notification under the scheme is closed to outsiders in the same way installation notification is. Only businesses registered on the HETAS Approved Biomass Maintenance Scheme can notify boilers to issue a HETAS document for maintenance completed by them²⁷. The registered business completes a notification of maintenance via the HETAS online portal, which provides a record of all notified activities, and a notification is then issued electronically by HETAS to the client²⁷. HETAS notes that it may be requested to provide electronic notification data to Ofgem²⁷.

On choice of maintainer, HETAS states there is no requirement to appoint a business that has your boiler manufacturer listed in its search criteria, but advises recipients to select carefully, because the boiler manufacturer may stipulate that only their trained personnel can maintain the appliance²⁷. That is a real constraint on independence: a household can be tied to a single manufacturer's network for the life of the appliance, whatever the scheme allows.

How to check an installer is registered, and getting quotes

The general rule across heating work is stated the same way in each nation's guidance: compliance is generally achieved by employing an installer who is registered under an approved scheme²¹. For a solid fuel fired boiler, the installer should be registered with one of the relevant competent person schemes⁶. HETAS maintains the register for solid fuel and biomass, and the Certificate of Compliance itself records the installer's registration, which is why a certificate that never arrives is the first warning sign worth acting on.

On pricing, HETAS says it would always recommend obtaining at least 3 quotes to ensure you receive the best price for the service required, and repeats the suggestion of at least 3 installers when seeking re-commissioning work on an existing appliance². The same figure appears in council guidance on renewable installations, which advises getting at least three quotes from reputable installers²⁹. Comparing three quotes is also the practical way to see differences in scope: flue lining, hearth construction, ventilation provision and the supply of a carbon monoxide alarm are often the reason two prices differ. Further detail sits on the pages covering getting installation quotes and comparing installation quotes.

Checks worth making before signing:

• That the installer is registered for the specific type of work, since scheme registration follows the trade and types of work supported⁵
• That the quote states who notifies the local authority and issues the certificate²³
• That a carbon monoxide alarm, notice plate and manufacturer's instructions are included²
• That any associated electrical work will come with a signed BS 7671 certificate²²
• For grant-funded work, whether TrustMark registration is also required³⁰

Where an installer claims registration they do not hold, the route for raising it is covered on the page about reporting an unregistered stove installer, and the meaning of the different marks on appliances and vans is covered under HETAS logos.

Where liability sits if the work is not compliant

The blunt position in Planning Portal guidance is that if you are the owner of the building, it is ultimately you who may be served with an enforcement notice if the work does not comply with the regulations⁷. The same wording appears in the Welsh guidance³¹. Council guidance puts it more simply still: ensuring your home improvements comply with building regulations is your responsibility³². Where a builder is employed, the responsibility will usually be theirs, but the guidance advises confirming that at the very beginning⁷. Non-compliant work may have to be corrected, or a fine paid³.

Government guidance on energy devices puts both parties in the frame for England and Wales: the installation contractor has a responsibility to ensure the work complies with building regulations, and the device owner may also have a responsibility and could be served with an enforcement notice in cases of non-compliance²⁶. The pattern recurs across technologies, with local authorities able to serve an enforcement notice where an installer does not adhere to building regulations³³.

The practical consequence arrives at sale. Because scheme certificates show up in solicitors' searches³, an unnotified stove is discovered by the buyer's solicitor rather than by the household, at the point where it is hardest to fix. Options at that stage are constrained by the rule that a registered installer can only notify work they carried out themselves². What to do when work turns out to be defective is covered under poor quality installations and complaining about an installer.

HETAS and TrustMark: two schemes doing different jobs

HETAS answers the building regulations question. TrustMark, described as a government endorsed quality scheme, answers the funding and consumer protection question³⁴. The two are not alternatives, and for grant-funded work a household may need both.

TrustMark itself is described as a competent person register for finding an installer who will assess your circumstances and property to identify suitable measures³⁸, and it requires a minimum two-year warranty for work, plus a minimum 25-year guarantee for certain measures installed under ECO³⁹. TrustMark can be reached on 0333 555 1234⁴⁰.

The Scottish Government has consulted on a Heat and Energy Efficiency Technical Suitability Assessment, exploring whether it might become a condition of particular government regulations or funding programmes, as MCS or TrustMark currently are⁴². More on the scheme itself is on the page for TrustMark registered businesses, and on the funding side under installer requirements for grants.

Where the rules differ across the four nations

Competent person scheme notification is an England and Wales mechanism. HETAS states that the notification regulations do not apply in Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland or the Isle of Man, and that consumers in those places should contact their relevant local authority before commencing work⁴. Customers using a HETAS Registered Installer in England and Wales receive a Certificate of Compliance⁹; households elsewhere in the UK need to establish the local route first.

Detector requirements also differ. Under Scotland's tolerable standard, carbon monoxide detectors must be fitted in all rooms used for living accommodation where there is a fixed combustion appliance or a flue, excluding an appliance used solely for cooking⁴⁴. HETAS lists a carbon monoxide alarm among the items that should be in place before a new appliance is used, wherever it is installed².

Nation-specific routes are set out on the pages for installers in England, installers in Scotland, installers in Wales and installers in Northern Ireland. The wider picture on choosing and checking a trade sits on the installers and retailers pillar.

What registration does and does not buy a household

A stove or biomass boiler is one of the more genuinely independent heat sources available to a UK home: fuel can be bought locally or gathered, and the appliance needs no gas connection. Registration does not change that, but it changes what the household is exposed to. A scheme certificate is the evidence of compliance that survives a conveyancing search³, it comes with an insurance-backed guarantee and a complaints procedure³, and it removes the separate building control application and its fee⁵.

The dependencies that remain are worth stating. Registration is voluntary, so the register is not a complete list of competent fitters⁵. The certificate covers compliance at installation, not the appliance's performance over time. For a biomass boiler, the manufacturer may stipulate that only their trained personnel can maintain the appliance, which ties servicing to one company regardless of what the maintenance scheme permits²⁷. And notification is closed to retrospective fixes, because a registered installer can only notify their own work². The paperwork has to be got right at the time, or it is the building owner who carries the enforcement risk⁷.