The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has published a consultation on raising product standards for space heating. The consultation seeks views on proposals and draft statutory instrument to improve ecodesign and energy labelling legislation to increase the performance of space heating products.

The consultation closes at 11:59pm on 25 March 2025.

What does the consultation cover?

The consultation outlines a number of proposals to improve product standards by updating ecodesign and energy labelling legislation for space and combination heaters.

The changes outlined within the consultation aim to increase the efficiency of space heaters and, consequently, reduce carbon emissions and consumer bills. It also aims to drive and boost efficiency within the space heater market and increase consumer clarity when choosing products.

The consultation is set to run from 17th December 2024 to 25th March 2025. It is expected that the various proposed changes outlined in the consultation will come into effect from 2026-2028.

Consultation summary

The consultation sets out the following proposed changes:

Enabling electrification of heat

The consultation outlines a number of proposals to enable the electrification of heat. These include raising minimum efficient standards for heat pumps, introducing new requirements for hybrid heat pumps and introducing amendments to ensure that hot water cylinders are compatible with heat pumps and designed to work in a wet low-temperature heating system.

Reducing fossil fuel demand

Despite the range of government policies aimed at growing the clean heat market, it is estimated that there will be over 10 million boiler installations in the next decade. The consultation sets out a number of proposals to improve the efficiency of fossil fuel heating systems, as well as remove lower performing products from the market.

Energy efficiency classes

The consultation sets out proposals to improve product labelling standards to ensure energy labels can better inform consumer choices. This includes reforming the current space heating energy efficiency scale, from a 10-class A+++ to G scale to a more simpler 7-class A – G scale.

Ensuring effectiveness

The consultation also covers a series of areas designed to ensure that the relevant regulations are as effective as possible. These include tightening the tolerances accepted under verification testing, revising product efficiency benchmarks, and proposing pragmatic changes to the requirements for third party testing, to allow recognition of testing completed in other jurisdictions, such as the European Union.

Elmhurst’s thoughts:

Jason Hewins, Elmhurst’s New Build Dwellings Manager, comments:

“Elmhurst welcomes the review of standards for space heating systems to ensure that they are fit for the future. The efficiency of a space heating system is one of the most significant parts of the overall energy efficiency of a home. It is therefore vital that standards keep improving in this area.

Elmhurst will review the consultation in further detail over the coming months and respond to the consultation on behalf of its members.”

How to respond:

This consultation will impact Elmhurst members who are required to check compliance standards for space heating systems in SAP or SBEM assessments. We therefore encourage these members to read and respond to the consultation.

It is also important for manufactures and builders to ensure that the systems they produce and install meet the new standards.

To view and respond to the government consultation, please click the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/raising-product-standards-for-space-heating