Government Open Consultation: Raising product standards on space heating

Have your say on plans to increase the performance of space heating products

As the UK journeys towards Net Zero, it’s more important than ever for products to become energy efficient, reducing carbon emissions and costs for customers.   

On 17 December, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero announced a new consultation on space heating ecodesign and energy label legislation that aims to improve product standards.  

Raising the bar energy efficiency for space heating

The consultation has opened a space for discussion on new proposals to improve product standards in space heating.  

The proposals include updating ecodesign and energy label legislation, including providing more information and clearer labels, giving consumers more clarity when choosing which products to buy.  

Key proposals include:   

• Enabling the electrification of heat, including raising minimum efficient standards for Heat Pumps and the introduction of these standards for Hybrid Heat Pumps. These include increasing minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) for low and medium-temperature Heat Pumps, and adding new MEPS for high-temperature Heat Pumps and Hybrid Heat Pumps.  
• Improving the efficiency of fossil fuel heating systems, including removing some lower-performing products from the market and improving interoperability of different manufacturers’ products. These proposals are built on those set out by the previous government in March 2024 on improving boiler standards and efficiency consultation and the response.  
• A rescale of energy labels to make them simpler for consumers to understand and best inform their choices. Labels are currently set at A to A+++, which would become a simpler A-G scale, aligning classes with new MEPS. 
• Strengthening the effectiveness of regulations, including tightening the tolerances included 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, including the EU. 

How to get involved with the consultation

Head to the government’s consultation page to find out more details on the proposals. These include:  

• Proposals to raise product standards on space heating 
• A Draft Statutory Instrument  
• Gas boilers Options Assessment 
• Heat Pumps Options Assessment

The consultation will close on 25th March 2025 at 11.59pm. 

Do you have views on the proposals? This is your opportunity to share your thoughts. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero wants to hear from you during the consultation period, especially if you’re a consumer, manufacturer, installer or from the wider industry. 

Heat Pumps on the ETL 

The ETL is home to independently verified, high performing energy-efficient Heat Pumps. If you’re a manufacturer then you can apply to list your product on the ETL. Meanwhile, purchasers can browse the ETL’s Heat Pump section here, for the very latest in energy efficient technology.