BEIS (The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) have confirmed an extended implementation period has been granted for the proposed amendments to the Heat Networks (Metering and Billing) Regulations 2014.
Last year BEIS proposed a 6-month implementation period to bring the regulations in line with EU requirements. As a result of Covid-19, BEIS have decided this short scale implementation period appears impractical due to pending uncertainty during the current financial and operational challenges being faced.
The ADE (Association for Decentralised Energy) raised this issue with BEIS to consider an extension to the implementation period and confirmed BEIS had responded and confirm they have "taken into account current operational challenges caused by Covid-19 and broad consultation feedback that a six-month period is not sufficient to implement the required changes. This means there will be a longer period for heat suppliers to carry out any necessary cost-effectiveness assessments and install meters or heat cost allocators where required."
BEIS also noted that their aim remains to introduce regulatory changes towards the end of the year and expect that all requirements will need to be implemented from summer 2022. The government's full response to the consultation and a beta version of the cost-effectiveness tool will be published by Autumn this year.
The ADE have stated that it welcomes this news, which will hopefully bring certainty to the heat networks industry on this matter.
Switch2 echo this response. During the consultation period, Switch2 responded to say this proposed period was not sufficient, and even more so due to Covid-19. Switch2 is pleased BEIS are listening to the industry on these matters and supporting the sector.