What Heat Trust does

Heat Trust is an independent, not-for-profit consumer-protection organisation operating Britain's only voluntary consumer-protection scheme for communal and district heat networks. Founded in 2015 and operated by Heat Customer Protection Ltd (a private company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales), Heat Trust sets minimum standards of customer service and consumer protection for registered heat suppliers that are broadly comparable to Ofgem's licence conditions for regulated gas and electricity suppliers. As of June 2026, the scheme covered 31 registered heat suppliers, 153 registered heat network sites, and approximately 96,800 domestic and micro-business consumers across England, Scotland and Wales—roughly 10% of the estimated 900,000 UK households on heat networks.

The organisation's core product is the Heat Trust Scheme itself, comprising formal Scheme Rules and Bye-Laws, minimum customer service standards, vulnerability support requirements, guaranteed performance payments for supply interruptions, complaint handling routed to the Energy Ombudsman, and independent compliance audits conducted at least every five years. Supporting tools include the Heat Cost Calculator (launched 2019), a web-based comparison tool that estimates annual heating and hot water costs against an individual gas boiler benchmark using Ofgem's regional default tariff price caps, plus a members-only portal, best-practice guidance documents, and consultation responses to Ofgem and DESNZ. There is no API, SDK, or developer-facing technology surface; the technology footprint is operational and compliance-oriented rather than software-platform-oriented.

Heat Trust is fully funded by supplier registration fees rather than consumer charges: a one-time £100 Site Registration Fee per heat network and an annual £3.75 per Heat Customer Connection (domestic or micro-business). Additional Energy Ombudsman case-handling fees (£250 facilitated complaints, £375 full cases, excluding VAT) are paid separately by heat suppliers. Following Ofgem's assumption of statutory heat networks regulator status on 27 January 2026 under the Energy Act 2023 and Heat Networks (Market Framework) Regulations 2025, Heat Trust continues to operate for a transitional period to support a managed handover of consumer protections, with Ofgem's full regulatory framework expected to be in force by early 2027.

Name

Heat Trust

Legal name

Heat Customer Protection Ltd

Website

https://heattrust.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Heat Trust is Britain's only independent, not-for-profit consumer-protection scheme for heat networks, setting minimum customer service standards for registered heat suppliers across 153 sites covering approximately 96,800 consumers in England, Scotland and Wales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Scheme Registration Fees: Heat Trust generates revenue through registration fees charged to heat suppliers who join the voluntary scheme. The fees include a one-time Site Registration Fee of £100 and an annual Connection Value fee of £3.75 per Heat Customer Connection (domestic or micro-business). The scheme is entirely funded by these membership fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Heat Trust operates a voluntary consumer-protection scheme for heat networks in Great Britain that sets minimum customer service standards for heat suppliers comparable to Ofgem's licence conditions for gas and electricity suppliers. Registered heat suppliers (heat network operators, ESCOs, local authorities, housing associations, and developers) pay registration and annual fees to gain access to the Scheme, including the Heat Cost Calculator, best practice guidance, complaint handling via the Energy Ombudsman, and compliance audits. Domestic consumers and micro-businesses on registered heat networks receive transparent billing, vulnerability support, guaranteed service payments, and independent dispute resolution.

Product overview

Heat Trust operates as a voluntary consumer-protection scheme for heat networks in Great Britain, offering a unified set of consumer protection standards comparable to those for gas and electricity suppliers. The core offering is the Heat Trust Scheme, which is supported by the Heat Cost Calculator tool for consumer cost comparison, Best Practice Guidance documents for heat suppliers, complaint handling with Energy Ombudsman integration, formal Scheme Rules and Bye-Laws documentation, and compliance audit services. Heat Trust does not operate as a software platform with modular products but rather as a regulatory-style scheme with associated tools and resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Heat Trust Scheme A voluntary consumer-protection scheme for heat networks in Great Britain that sets minimum standards of customer service and consumer protection for heat suppliers, based on Ofgem's licence conditions. Heat suppliers register to gain compliance framework, brand association, and consumer protection standards.
• Heat Cost Calculator A web-based tool that enables heat network consumers to get an indication of the annual heating and hot water cost for a similar-sized home if it had an individual gas boiler. Uses Ofgem's regional default tariff price cap rates for domestic gas.
• Complaint Handling and Energy Ombudsman Integration Structured complaint resolution pathway enabling consumers to escalate unresolved complaints to the Energy Ombudsman for free independent dispute resolution. When heat suppliers register, they sign a Deed Poll contract with the Energy Ombudsman, which processes unresolved scheme complaints and applies Heat Trust standards.
• Best Practice Guidance Guidance documents for heat suppliers covering customer service, complaints handling, vulnerability support, billing best practice, pre-contractual transparency, and audit completion guidelines.
• Compliance Audits External auditor assessments of heat supplier compliance with consumer-protection standards, conducted at least every five years per registered heat network.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96,800 consumers protected through the voluntary scheme as of June 2026
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• OfgemcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Ofgem became statutory heat networks regulator on 27 January 2026. Heat Trust is working with Ofgem and government to support smooth transition. Ofgem representative attends Heat Trust Committee meetings. Heat Trust Scheme rules form foundations for Ofgem's formal regulations.
• Consumer ScotlandmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Consumer Scotland serves as consumer advocate for Scotland. Representative sits on the Heat Trust Committee. Consumer Scotland published 'Challenges facing heat network consumers in Scotland' report.
• Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025DESNZ is the government department responsible for heat network policy. Representative attends Heat Trust Committee meetings. DESNZ has encouraged heat suppliers to follow Heat Trust's good practice as they prepare for Ofgem regulation.
• Scottish GovernmentmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Scottish Government Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism welcomed Heat Trust scheme launch in 2015. Representative attends Heat Trust Committee. Scottish Government has separate regulatory framework through Heat Networks (Scotland) Act 2021.
• Association for Decentralised Energy (ADE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015ADE was instrumental in Heat Trust's inception and continues as sponsor. Heat Trust buys in support services from ADE. ADE representative sits on the Board of Directors. Despite sponsorship, Heat Trust is an independent organization and not a trade association.
• Energy OmbudsmancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Contractual arrangement with Energy Ombudsman for independent dispute resolution for consumers on registered heat networks. When heat suppliers register, they sign a Deed Poll contract with the Energy Ombudsman. The Ombudsman processes unresolved scheme complaints and applies Heat Trust standards.
• Citizens AdvicemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Citizens Advice serves as consumer representative in England and Wales. Representatives sit on the Heat Trust Committee. Citizens Advice publishes Good Practice Guides supporting heat network consumers and collaborates on guidance documents.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Citizens Advice: National consumer advocacy charity with an Energy Consumer Unit funded by government, sitting on Heat Trust's Committee. Comparable in consumer-facing energy protection work and policy advocacy, though with broader scope (general consumer issues beyond heat networks).
• National Energy Action (NEA): UK fuel poverty and energy consumer advocacy charity working closely with government, Ofgem and energy companies on consumer protection. Comparable in mission (protecting vulnerable energy consumers) and stakeholder footprint, though focused on fuel poverty rather than heat network-specific regulation.

Others

• Ofgem: UK energy regulator which, as of 27 January 2026, became the statutory heat networks regulator. Ofgem is the ecosystem partner now absorbing Heat Trust's regulatory remit, with Heat Trust Scheme rules forming the foundation of its statutory framework. Not a peer in competitive terms but a critical ecosystem participant shaping Heat Trust's future role.

Broad incumbents

• Energy Networks Association (ENA): Industry body for UK energy networks (gas and electricity distribution and transmission). Comparable as a sector-level standards and consumer protection body interfacing with Ofgem, though operating in a different sub-sector (networks rather than heat retail supply).
• Energy UK: Broad UK energy industry trade association representing generators and suppliers across electricity and gas. Overlaps with Heat Trust in policy advocacy on consumer protection standards, with many Energy UK members (E.ON, SSE, etc.) also being Heat Trust Registered Participants.

Direct peers

• Consumer Council for Water: Independent consumer body representing water customers in England and Wales. Structurally the closest UK analogue to Heat Trust as a sector-specific, non-statutory (pre-statute) consumer protection body funded by industry, before Ofwat assumed direct regulatory responsibility for similar functions.
• Energy Ombudsman: Statutory independent dispute resolution service for UK energy consumers, with a contractual arrangement with Heat Trust to handle complaints from registered heat networks. Functionally adjacent: both provide consumer protection infrastructure for energy customers and operate on a fee-paid-by-supplier model.
• Association for Decentralised Energy (ADE): ADE is Heat Trust's sponsoring industry body for decentralised and heat network energy in the UK. It sits on Heat Trust's Board and provides support services, making it the most structurally comparable peer given shared sector scope (heat networks), overlapping stakeholder base (Ofgem, DESNZ), and close governance ties.

Regional players

• Consumer Scotland: Scotland's statutory consumer advocacy body, represented on Heat Trust's Committee. Comparable in energy consumer protection advocacy role but geographically scoped to Scotland and broader than heat networks.
• Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS): Scotland-specific arm of the Citizens Advice network providing consumer advice and advocacy. Comparable in mission and energy consumer focus to Heat Trust but operates as a general consumer advice body rather than a heat-network-specific scheme.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/HeatTrustUK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heat-customer-protection-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Heat Trust