Explanatory note

These Regulations, which apply to Great Britain, amend the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme Regulations 2014 (“the principal regulations”). The principal regulations established a renewable heat incentive scheme (“the scheme”) under which owners of biomass plants, heat pumps and solar thermal plants which generate heat for domestic properties may receive payments at prescribed rates when the plant generates heat for that property.

These Regulations amend Part 2 of the principal regulations, which set out eligibility criteria which must be met before a plant can participate in the scheme. In particular, the amendments clarify that biomass stoves which generate heat for the purpose of cooking food are eligible for the scheme if such heat generation is incidental to, and cannot be controlled separately from, space or hot water heating. The period for seeking accreditation for such stoves is also extended. They also remove the requirement to obtain a Green Deal Assessment where the Energy Performance Certificate for a property which is owned by a social landlord is less than 2 years old, clarify that plants which supply heating to both an eligible property and any related building or swimming pool are eligible for the scheme, update the technical standards governing the installation of heat pumps and solar thermal plants, and make minor consequential amendments. As a consequence of the changes to the technical standards, high temperature heat pumps are now eligible for the scheme.

These Regulations also amend regulation 38 of the principal regulations, which requires the Secretary of State to publish quarterly expenditure forecasts in relation to the scheme. These Regulations amend the definition of estimated spend to ensure that negative figures are not used when forecasting spending in relation to an individual plants and that plants which cease to be accredited domestic plants are excluded from the forecasts.

A draft of these Regulations was notified to the European Commission in accordance with Directive 98/34/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down a procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical standards and regulations (OJ L 204, 21.7.1998, p.37) as amended by Directive 98/48/EC (OJ L 217, 5.8.1998, p.18).

Documents published on www.microgenerationcertification.org are also available from Gemserv Limited at 10 Fenchurch Street, London, EC3M 3BE.

Documents which can be obtained from the British Standards Institution at www.bsigroup.com can also be obtained from the British Standards Institution customer services at 389 Chiswick High Road, London, W4 4AL upon payment of a fee.

An impact assessment has not been produced for these Regulations as no impact on the private or voluntary sectors is foreseen.