From 1 January 2022, products requiring a conformity mark must carry the UKCA mark if they are placed on the market in Great Britain, and the CE mark is no longer recognised there1. The change applies to solid fuel heating products among others, and the legislation covers placing of products within England, Scotland and Wales2.
HETAS, which runs a product approval scheme for solid fuel appliances, set out the position for its sector: all solid fuel heating products placed on the market from that date must carry the UKCA mark of conformity and have a technical evidence file underpinned by a UK approved body2. Until 1 January 2022, solid fuel products could carry both marks provided they met the requirements of both regimes2.
"The new legislation details from 1 st January 2022, all solid fuel heating products placed on the market will be required to have placed upon it the UKCA mark of conformity"
Northern Ireland differs. Products there continue to be administered under the current EU marking regime and are required to carry the UK(NI) mark instead2. Separately, the EU stopped recognising CE marking certifications issued by UK Notified Bodies as of 1 January 20211, and HETAS states that authorised representatives based in the EU ceased to be recognised in the UK from the same date, and vice versa2.
Other elements of the transition reported by HETAS include that existing harmonised EU standards become UK designated standards with a BS syntax, identical in content until a standards amendment review takes place, and that declarations of performance or conformity need redrafting to reference UK legislation and standards directly2. Manufacturers selling into the EU still require CE marking for those products, and HETAS states it is likely the UKCA mark will not be recognised across the EU after the enforcement date2. A further change reported is that from 1 January 2023, UKCA markings must be affixed directly to the product in most cases1.
| Market | Mark required from 1 January 2022 |
|---|---|
| England, Scotland, Wales | UKCA2 |
| Northern Ireland | UK(NI), under the EU marking regime2 |
Why it matters for households
The mark on a heating appliance or other covered product is the visible evidence that it was assessed against the rules of the market it is sold in. For a household buying a stove, boiler or other marked product in Great Britain, the relevant mark is now UKCA, and a CE mark alone no longer demonstrates conformity for products placed on the GB market from 1 January 20221. That affects what can lawfully be sold, and therefore what is available, rather than the performance of a product already installed.
For homes pursuing energy independence through installed equipment, the marking regime sits alongside the certification and competency schemes that govern who may install work. MCS covers microgeneration measures, and the UK Government transferred the scheme in 2018 to the MCS Charitable Foundation and MCS Service Company1. Retrofit work under PAS 2030 and PAS 2035 must be undertaken by suppliers registered with TrustMark1. The 2022 iteration of those standards was issued in February 2022 as PAS 2030:2019+A1:2022 and PAS 2035:2019+A1:20221. The practical distinction for a household is between the mark on the product and the certification of the installer, and the two are governed separately. Further detail on how the marks differ is set out in UKCA vs CE marking for home energy products, with the wider framework covered under product markings and standards.
What happens next
From 1 January 2023, UKCA markings must be affixed directly to the product in most cases1. No further dated steps beyond that are given in the available material.