The Electricity and Gas (Energy Company Obligation) Order 2022

Hierarchy of heating measures installed at off-gas premises

30.—(1) A measure complies with the off-gas heating hierarchy if it is a measure to which paragraph (2) applies.

(2) This paragraph applies to a measure which is—

(a) one of the following—

(i) a hydronic heat pump;

(ii) a wet central heating system which generates heat wholly from a hydronic heat pump; or

(iii) a connection to a district heating system that delivers heat generated wholly from a hydronic heat pump;

(b) if it is not possible to install any of the measures referred to in sub-paragraph (a) at the premises, either—

(i) a district heating connection (other than a district heating connection referred to in sub-paragraph (a)(iii)); or

(ii) if the premises are in a rural area, the installation of equipment for the generation of heat wholly or partly from biomass; or

(c) if it is not possible to install at the premises any of the measures referred to in sub-paragraphs (a) or (b), one of the following—

(i) if the heating system at the premises immediately prior to the installation of the measure is an electric heating system or an electric storage heater—

(aa) an electric heating system; or

(bb) an electric storage heater;

(ii) the repair of—

(aa) a renewable heating system which is an inefficient heating system;

(bb) a central heating system which is fuelled wholly or partly from biofuel, oil or liquefied petroleum gas; or

(cc) a connection to a district heating system that delivers heat generated wholly or partly from biofuel, oil or liquefied petroleum gas.

(3) For the purposes of paragraph (2), it is “not possible” to install a measure—

(a) if it is not reasonably practicable to install the measure;

(b) if it attracts an exemption under Part 11;

(c) if the measure is the installation of equipment for the generation of heat wholly or partly from biomass and the premises are not in a rural area;

(d) if—

(i) one or more improvement options evaluation reports in relation to the premises are held on the TrustMark Data Warehouse; and

(ii) the measure is not amongst the measures recommended in the most recent improvement options evaluation report; or

(e) if—

(i) no improvement options evaluation report in relation to the premises is held on the TrustMark Data Warehouse;

(ii) one or more EPC recommendation reports have been issued for the premises; and

(iii) the measure is not amongst the measures recommended in the most recent EPC recommendation report.

(4) In this article—

“EPC recommendation report” means a recommendation report included in an energy performance certificate, and for the purposes of this definition, “recommendation report”—

(a)

in relation to domestic premises in England and Wales, has the meaning given in regulation 4(1) of the Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) Regulations 2012(1);

(b)

in relation to domestic premises in Scotland, has the same meaning as “recommendations report” in regulation 6A of the Energy Performance of Buildings (Scotland) Regulations 2008(2);

“improvement options evaluation report” means a report by a retrofit coordinator prepared under clause 9.2.6 of PAS 2035:2019 that recommends measures to improve the energy performance of the domestic premises;

“retrofit coordinator” has the meaning given in clause 3.26 of PAS 2035:2019.

(1)

S.I. 2012/3118. Section 4(1) was amended by S.I. 2013/181.

(2)

S.S.I. 2008/309. Regulation 6A was inserted by S.S.I. 2012/208, and amended by S.S.I. 2013/12.