The Heating and Hotwater Industry Council (HHIC) has told homeowners to make sure they download and keep their heating appliance's digital Benchmark commissioning and servicing record, after the paper version of the checklist was retired. The industry body published its guidance on 27 October 20261.
The paper-based Benchmark Commissioning Checklist and Service Record is no longer maintained, the HHIC said. The latest version, including all updates, is available online at www.benchmark.org.uk or through the Benchmark apps1. Benchmark provides a record of the installation, commissioning and servicing of heating appliances1.
"Homeowners should make sure they know where their Benchmark record is held and retain access to it, particularly when moving house or arranging future servicing."
The HHIC set out the requirements that sit alongside the record. The appliance must be installed and commissioned to the manufacturers' instructions, with the commissioning checklist completed in full either via the Benchmark App or web portal1. It must also be registered for warranty with the manufacturer within one month of installation. The HHIC said this may be done by the installer when completing the checklist, but that the warranty rests with the end user and the responsibility lies with them to ensure registration happens within the allotted time period1.
Servicing must take place at least annually in line with the manufacturers' recommendations, carried out by a competent suitably qualified engineer, which for gas boilers means a Gas Safe registered engineer, the HHIC said. Service details should be recorded in the servicing section of the app or web portal. Failure to comply with the manufacturers' servicing instructions and requirements is likely to invalidate the appliance's warranty1.
The digital commissioning record now includes records of system water treatment test results, so installers can record inhibitor checks carried out at commissioning and during annual servicing1. The HHIC said poor water quality can contribute to corrosion, sludge and reduced system performance, and that the record lets a future engineer see what inhibitor has been used and what checks have been carried out1.
Why it matters for households
The Benchmark record is the document that shows an appliance was installed and commissioned correctly and has been serviced since. With the paper checklist retired, the record a household holds is now the digital one, and the HHIC's guidance places the responsibility for keeping access to it, and for confirming warranty registration within one month, on the homeowner rather than the installer1. For anyone buying or selling a home, or booking a service, that record is the evidence of how the system has been maintained. The addition of water treatment results means the record now also covers the condition of the water in the system, not just the appliance1. Further detail on appliance standards and marking is set out in our guide to heating appliance standards, marking and certification, and the wider picture is covered in the boilers and heating hub.
What happens next
No further dates have been announced. The HHIC directs homeowners and installers to www.benchmark.org.uk and the Benchmark apps for the current version of the record1.
Sources1 sources
- Heating and Hotwater Industry Council, hhic.org.uk