How to prepare for renewable energy laws in the UK

You’ll have noticed how much talk there is these days about the move away from gas and oil. Customers are asking more questions and suppliers are changing what they stock. None of this is just talk - the government is putting new laws in place to push homes and companies towards cleaner energy.

If you work with boilers, heating systems or property maintenance, these changes will shape the jobs you take on and the tools you’ll need to do them. Getting prepared now will save you hassle, wasted money and lost business later on.

Heat pump planning reforms

Heat pumps are no longer niche and the planning rules around them are loosening to make them easier to fit. That sounds handy, but it also means more customers will ask about them.

You should familiarise yourself with the current permitted development rules, which reduce the need for planning permission on domestic heat pumps if they meet certain noise and placement standards. If you don’t know those limits, you risk installing a system that later has to be moved.

Take time to walk through a property and think about boundaries, neighbours’ windows and possible noise issues. Doing this groundwork will build trust with clients and prevent call-backs.

Clean Heat Market Mechanism (CHMM)

The CHMM will push boiler manufacturers to sell a growing share of low-carbon heating products. For tradespeople, that means more heat pumps on the shelves and possibly fewer traditional gas boilers at certain price points.

Don’t wait until customers bring you a new type of kit you’ve never touched before. Book training with the brands you already fit so you know how their new systems work. By doing that, you’ll avoid losing out to installers who already understand the technology.

Heat network zoning and Ofgem regulation

Heat networks (shared systems that supply heat to whole blocks or estates) are growing under new rules that give Ofgem oversight. If you usually deal with individual homes, it’s worth knowing how these networks affect residents.

Tenants won’t be able to shop around for suppliers in the same way they can with gas or electricity, so you may get more service calls for efficiency checks rather than full system swaps. Building relationships with housing associations and developers could open new streams of work as they invest in compliant systems.

Grants and incentives

Government support schemes will continue to offset some of the upfront costs. Homeowners often don’t realise they can claim funding to install renewable heating and other energy efficient systems, so it helps if you guide them through it.

By explaining these incentives clearly, you put yourself forward as someone who solves problems rather than just fitting kit. That makes it easier to win trust and repeat work.