New regulations for heat networks took effect from 27 January 2026, requiring suppliers and operators to meet stronger standards on customer service, supply reliability, billing and fair pricing1. Consumer Scotland, the statutory advocate for heat network consumers, set out what the rules cover in a blog post published on 13 February 20261.
From that date, heat network suppliers and operators must comply with rules designed to deliver a more consistent and transparent experience for consumers1. The framework sets standards in four areas: good customer service, including clearer routes for raising and resolving concerns; improved reliability of energy supply, supported by stronger rules for operators; transparent, easy to understand billing; and fair pricing, with measures intended to support more consistent and proportionate charges1.
| Area | What the regulations cover |
|---|---|
| Customer service | Clearer routes for raising and resolving consumers' concerns |
| Supply reliability | Stronger rules for heat network operators |
| Billing | Transparent, easy to understand billing showing what customers pay for and why |
| Pricing | Measures intended to support more consistent and proportionate charges |
Consumer Scotland said the sector had until now operated without many of the protections available to customers of the regulated gas and electricity market, and that the changes represent a significant shift1.
"As the statutory advocate for heat network consumers, Consumer Scotland will closely monitor heat network users' experiences and escalate issues of concern to government, industry and the regulator to drive improvements across the sector."
Free and independent advice has been available to heat network customers since April 20251. In Scotland, Advice Direct Scotland helps households and small businesses with questions about their heat network, concerns about their bills, or difficulties getting issues resolved by their operator, and can be reached through live chat and its website at energyadvice.scot or by telephone on 0808 196 86601. Customers needing additional support because of their circumstances or the complexity of their case may be referred to the Extra Help Unit at Citizens Advice Scotland1. Dispute resolution is also now available to consumers on heat networks through the Energy Ombudsman1.
Why it matters for households
Households on heat network suppliers buy their heating and hot water from a communal or district system rather than from a gas or electricity supplier, so they have not had the same regulation and consumer protection as customers on the mains gas and electricity market1. The new standards bear directly on the things a household cannot easily change on its own: whether heat keeps arriving, whether a bill can be understood, and whether a complaint has somewhere to go.
For a home's energy independence, the practical effect is that the terms of supply are now set by rules rather than by the operator alone, and that a dispute has a route to the Energy Ombudsman rather than ending with the operator1. Consumer Scotland notes that regulation is designed for long-term change and describes this as the beginning of the journey, so the standards are not a one-off event1.
What happens next
Consumer Scotland said it will closely monitor heat network users' experiences and escalate issues of concern to government, industry and the regulator1. No further dates for the next stage of the framework are given in the material published by Consumer Scotland1.