John Porter on essential new support for people whose heating is supplied by a heat network
The Extra Help Unit (EHU) provides expert support to people in vulnerable circumstances who are experiencing difficulties with their gas or electricity supply.
We’ve sat within Citizens Advice Scotland since 2014, and in that time, supported almost 200,000 people and small businesses across Great Britain, achieving more than £25 million in financial redress.
Our team of caseworkers liaise tirelessly with electricity and gas suppliers to resolve the concerns of those who are referred to our service.
However, there is one group of people we’ve been unable to support - until now.
In Scotland, there are more than 30,000 homes whose heating is supplied by a heat network. This is a central source to multiple properties and reduces the reliance on individual gas boilers or electric heaters – it's also what both the UK and Scottish governments view as the key to achieving net zero targets.
But the heat network sector has traditionally been unregulated. If someone is having difficulties with their heat supply and unable to resolve it by contacting their supplier directly, they’re essentially left with nowhere to turn. But this is changing.
Ofgem has been appointed as the regulator of heat networks across Great Britain. Regulations will start coming into effect in January 2026, and the EHU is now providing an advocacy service for people in vulnerable circumstances in Scotland who use heat networks. We are carrying out this work on behalf of Consumer Scotland, the statutory advocacy body for heat networks in Scotland, and people will be referred to us by Advice Direct Scotland, who are providing first-tier support. And I’m proud to be leading the EHU’s approach to this work.
We’ve already identified many challenges. For instance, heat networks are often provided by local authorities and housing associations, and while the supplier is ultimately responsible for setting the price, many of these organisations outsource the billing-related work to other service providers, leading to a great deal of confusion.
One lady we supported was without heat supply and desperately needed assistance in topping up her pre-payment meter. She was also experiencing significant mental health-related issues and family difficulties, and did not know whether she should be contacting her housing association or the billing agent for help.
It’s encouraging to see Ofgem take charge and set out expectations of how a regulated heat network environment will look. It is consulting on plans to implement fair pricing conditions, and also stated a desire to mirror the definition of vulnerability they currently adopt in their role as gas and electricity regulator. This will allow for all individuals in vulnerable circumstances to benefit from the same protections.
However, given that the supplier we contacted in the example above was not even aware of the fact that Ofgem’s regulations were coming into force, it’s clear that there’s a long way to go before we can confidently say we’re close to where we want to be.
We look forward to playing our part in improving outcomes for people and working with partners and heat network service providers to better support those in vulnerable situations with a heat network supply that works for all.
John Porter is the heat networks lead in the Extra Help Unit at Citizens Advice Scotland.
