Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has written to all suppliers of heat networks asking them to sign up to the Heat Trust.

I can confirm that my rt. hon. Friend the Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth (Claire Perry) wrote to heat network suppliers in April 2019, reaffirming our intention to regulate the heat network sector in light of recommendations from the Competition and Markets Authority. In her letter, she encouraged all owners or operators of heat networks not currently signed up to the voluntary Heat Trust to do so in order to improve their consumers’ experiences and build on existing good practice ahead of regulation. She also asked them to consider the role the Energy Ombudsman may provide in addressing disputes between consumers and companies. The letter is also publicly available on the Government website.

(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/open-letter-to-heat-network-operators-about-consumer-protection-standards)