Ofgem authorisation deadline: 26 January 2027 – operators are already preparing
Registration open

What documents do you need for Ofgem authorisation?

Work through each requirement below. Check off the areas you have covered and see exactly where the gaps are.

Interactive checklist · 9 areas · 14 documents
At a glance
Authorisation deadline
Registration serviceLive (beta)
Core requirements6 areas · 8 documents
Full coverage9 areas · 14 documents
0 of 9 areas checked

Ofgem’s authorisation conditions cover nine operational areas. For each one, you need structured documentary evidence – not just policy statements. Most operators already do the right things operationally. The gap is formal documentation. This checklist helps you find where those gaps are.

Click each area to expand the detail. Tick the checkbox when you have the required documentation in place. Your progress is tracked in the bar above.

Core
Core authorisation requirements
Every operator needs these six areas documented. The Compliant Bundle (£895) covers all of them.
1
Organisation registration and role determination
Register with Ofgem and demonstrate you are fit and proper to hold an authorisation

What Ofgem requires

Every operator must register with Ofgem’s digital registration service and demonstrate they are a fit and proper organisation to hold an authorisation. This covers operator details, network information, governance arrangements, and the nominated individuals responsible for compliance.

What you need to evidence

A completed readiness assessment covering your organisation structure, the networks you operate, your governance framework, and the named individuals accountable for each compliance area.

2
Consumer protection
Welcome packs, compliant billing, complaints handling, and vulnerable consumer support

What Ofgem requires

Consumers must receive the same standard of protection as gas and electricity customers. A formal welcome pack at first supply, transparent billing, a complaints procedure with Energy Ombudsman escalation, and a Priority Services Register for vulnerable consumers.

What you need to evidence

Four documents: a Consumer Welcome Pack, a Model Compliant Bill with correct layout and back-billing protections, a Complaint Log tracking receipt through to resolution, and a Priority Services Register.

3
Financial resilience
Working capital adequacy, insurance, emergency funding, and regulatory history

What Ofgem requires

Operators must demonstrate they can sustain operations financially. Ofgem wants forward-looking assertions about working capital, insurance, emergency funding, and regulatory history – not just annual accounts.

What you need to evidence

A structured Financial Resilience Statement covering each area Ofgem specifies, presenting assertions about preparedness rather than backward-looking figures.

4
Supply continuity and step-in
Contingency plans, emergency response, and step-in procedures

What Ofgem requires

Documented contingency arrangements for maintaining heat supply during disruption. Step-in procedures for when the operator can no longer supply heat. This is the section Ofgem reads most carefully.

What you need to evidence

A Supply Continuity and Step-In Plan covering each contingency scenario, with named contacts, notification timescales, and a credible step-in arrangement.

5
Data reporting to Ofgem
Quarterly and annual submission tracking

What Ofgem requires

Periodic data returns. Quarterly: consumer numbers, new connections, complaints. Annually: financial performance, interruptions, PSR usage, and consumer satisfaction.

What you need to evidence

A reporting tracker mapping every required metric, submission frequency, data source, and reference guidance.

6
Staff training and competence
Qualifications, training records, and competency assessments

What Ofgem requires

Staff involved in heat network operations must hold appropriate competencies and receive ongoing training across technical, customer-facing, and compliance roles.

What you need to evidence

A training register recording qualifications, training dates, renewal schedules, and competency assessments.

The Compliant Bundle covers all six core areas above

8 documents, £895 one-time. Save £405 vs buying individually. Need the additional areas below too? See the Complete Bundle.

Additional
Additional requirements
Depending on your network, you may also need these. The Complete Bundle (£1,195) covers everything – core and additional.
7
Technical standards (HNTAS)
Network condition, metering accuracy, water treatment, and supply reliability

What Ofgem requires

The Heat Network Technical Assurance Scheme sets phased requirements for network condition, metering accuracy, water treatment, and supply reliability. The draft standard (TS1) was published November 2025. Existing networks get staged milestones.

What you need to evidence

Three registers: network condition and compliance status, water quality and chemical dosing records, and meter calibration and accuracy testing.

8
Heat supply contracts and tariffs
Consumer-facing agreements, tariff schedules, and accessible formats

What Ofgem requires

Every consumer must have a formal heat supply agreement meeting Ofgem’s requirements for transparency, fairness, and consumer rights. Clear tariff schedules, termination rights, and accessible formats.

What you need to evidence

A consumer-facing heat supply agreement with tariff schedule and operator guidance, in standard and accessible formats.

9
Scotland: dual compliance
Heat Networks (Scotland) Act 2021 licensing plus Market Framework Regulations 2025

What Ofgem requires

Scottish operators face dual compliance. The Heat Networks (Scotland) Act 2021 licensing regime runs alongside the Market Framework authorisation conditions. Scottish operators must satisfy both frameworks.

What you need to evidence

The Scotland-specific HNO Readiness Pack addresses both sets of requirements in a single document. Only required if you operate networks in Scotland.

The compliance gap is documentation, not activity. Most operators already do the right things operationally. What they lack is the structured documentary evidence Ofgem requires. Informal practices need to become formal, auditable records.

Timeline: what to do and when

1
April – June 2026
Audit and purchase
Map your current documentation against this checklist. Identify gaps. Purchase or prepare the documents you need. The biggest gaps are almost always consumer protection and financial resilience.
2
July – September 2026
Complete and populate
Complete all documents. Begin populating registers with live data – training records, water treatment results, meter calibration dates. Register with Ofgem’s digital service.
3
October – December 2026
Submit application
Submit your authorisation application. Allow time for Ofgem queries – first-round applications will generate requests for additional information. Do not leave this until January.

What it costs

One payment, no subscriptions. Choose the level of coverage your network needs.

Individual purchase
£1,895
All 14 documents bought separately
Most operators choose this
Compliant Bundle
£895
All 6 core areas – 8 documents covering authorisation, consumer protection, financial resilience, supply continuity, reporting, and training
Save £405
Complete Bundle
£1,195
Everything in Compliant, plus technical registers (HNTAS, VDI 2035, TR1), Heat Supply Agreement, and Complaint Log
Save £700+

Ready to close the gaps?

Choose the bundle that matches your network. One payment, delivered in five minutes, yours to keep forever.

Most popular
Compliant
£895
All 6 core authorisation areas. 8 documents.
Get Compliant
Full coverage
Complete
£1,195
All 9 areas. 14 documents including technical registers.
Get Complete
Delivered in 5 minutes No subscription Own forever

The deadline is January 2027

Professional documents. One payment. No portal, no subscription, no lock-in.