The UK’s distribution network operators are the companies which own and operate the local wire systems to which all homes and most buildings are connected. The current 2023 to 2028 settlement period determined by Ofgem (RIIO-ED2) which sets income and performance expectations for these networks provides ‘£3.2bn in network upgrades to support the rollout of EVs, heat pumps and the connection of more local, low carbon generation including solar and wind’. Heat pumps may be the most numerous type of low carbon addition to the electricity grid by 2050 with around 20 million retrofitted to existing homes by 2050 (in addition to all of those going to new buildings and to commercial properties.)

The purpose of these Ofgem regulated companies is to enable electricity to move to where it is needed and they are being actively funded to connect green things, for both generation and demand. So why then, are some of these companies causing major problems for heat pump installs? Installers, housing associations and even a devolved administration have now shared concerns that these companies are literally slowing down clean heating. In this blog I explore the networks issues for those installing heat pumps and propose solutions.

At this, point I should remind readers that the UK government has a very challenging 600,000 heat pump a year target (lower than is needed under climate change targets but still a tenfold increase on today’s market).

Yet the current small market is already facing network issues. In August last year, I first wrote about this problem. Crap communication and confusion was almost killing what should have been a straightforward install. The issues in this case were resolved after a few phone calls and because I happen to know some senior people. But after some basic research by me, the issues seem much broader and potentially systemic.

What is the problem?

Currently to get a heat pump which is MCS accredited, a requirement for grants across GB and for Energy Company Obligation installs, you need to tick a box which says you have permission from the network to plug in your heat pump. This is not a legal requirement (as far as I am aware) although the distribution code (paragraph DPC5.2.1) mentions a broad requirement for ‘contact’ with the DNO in the case of ‘significant change to the connection (not defined). It’s worth noting however you’d be breaching MCS rules if you didn’t have permission to connect (a word I find problematic when it comes to plugging in heat pumps and goes back to generation language) and said you did.

This MCS requirement is an inadvertent hurdle for heat pumps and it’s worth bearing in mind that other types of electric heating, and electric showers do not have this requirement despite the fact they may be much larger demands. It does however make some sense for the networks to have some idea where and how many heat pumps are plugged in to their grid although MCS and smart meter data may be able to provide this anyway.

Houses have fuses, often referred to as ‘cut outs’, before the meter. These are in place to stop surges from the network damaging houses and they are typically 60, 80 or 100amps. These cut-outs have inadvertently become the tool by which networks are able to control what people plug in and how much juice they can pull. Note at this point, that’s 2 inadvertent developments, one on the MCS requirement and another of the use of cut outs as max demand limiters.

If you breach the cut out capacity, i.e. you have too many electrical appliances all on at once, you risk blowing it; potentially by adding a heat pump (or battery, or EV charger) you might put a house over the amperage of the fuse.

The process

Because houses don’t have fuses below 60 amps, if you add a heat pump and you work out the ‘maximum demand’ (the measure of the highest ever expected demand) of the house post install and it’s below 60 amps, you can sometimes just ‘notify’ the network, plug your heat pump in, turn it on and that’s fine. If it’s 59 amps or less, no problem (wink wink). It’s widely known that people make up maximum demands to stay under 60. Indeed, many don’t even notify or speak to the network (I have sympathy here, and you will too if you read on).

In some cases, even if your maximum demand calculation comes out at below 60 amps yet your heat pump is marked as ‘apply to connect’ in the ENA’s database (typically slightly bigger heat pumps), you need to go down the more complex, lengthy and uncertain application route (we get to this shortly). It’s also worth bearing in mind that the ENA’s database also assumes that heat pumps have back up resistance heating, when many are fitted without this. This needlessly adds kilowatts of capacity to heat pumps in their database and therefore means more need to ‘apply’ rather than simply ‘notify’.

It’s important to note here that you could add a 12KW electric shower and you don’t need to do anything. But a 6KW output heat pump which draws 3KW of electricity and you are expected to ‘notify’ as a bare minimum.

If you are planning a heat pump and the maximum demand of the house goes over 60 amps you need to ‘apply’ to the local network to for permission to install a heat pump. This is the case even if the current fuse is of a suitable capacity (you can normally read it on the side, mine clearly says 100A). If you need to ‘apply’, you enter a world of unregulated chaos and complexity which varies depending on which network area you find yourself in. I repeat, fully unregulated; there are no standards of service here.

In a good situation, you contact the network, possibly via an app, maybe with a photo of the fuse and your maximum demand calculation and they email back and say connect away, that’s the best case scenario. This is where problems often begin.

The company might just take ages, there’s nothing stopping them just being slow. But you may need a bigger cut out. Say you have a maximum demand of 61 and a 60 amp fuse, the network (or maybe another company who is allowed to work on meters, only Octopus, in certain areas, is currently allowed though other suppliers may join that list) will need to upgrade the fuse. This is a process which needs at least one physical visit and can take time. A time which has no regulatory limit on it. There is also the question of whether it is appropriate to allow some people but not others to undertake work, if this gives certain people an advantage.

I’ve also been informed that this process can take up to 4 visits, a check and then the fuse upgrade from the network and then possibly an upgrade to the wires between the fuse and the meter (suppliers responsibility) and then the wires between the meter and the house’s fuseboard (households responsibility).

Once the fuse is upgraded, if that ever happens, then the heat pump can be plugged in and you can complete the project. This could take weeks or months and is clearly not appropriate for mass heat pump deployment, particularly ‘distress’ purchases.

Bear in mind though, following some changes last year which happened without anyone in government signing them off, the maximum size of fuse allowed in some network areas is now 80 amps. Yes, you read that right. Some network companies have just decided to downgrade how much juice you are allowed to use. How? Because no one regulates this part of network policy. Why? Well probably because it makes their lives easier, they now have more control over what is connected, by limiting the maximum, and they can be less worried about network upgrades. Not a good look when there’s a ‘climate emergency’ and adding lots of things to the grid is a known requirement to solve it.

I’m told that some of the networks who still offer 100amps are quite annoyed. The government had been running an ‘electrification of heat, networks group’ but that this has mostly become a network talking shop.

I will also add at this point, there isn’t really a set method for working out what maximum demand is, so you can pretty much just make it up any way and assume certain things.

If you can get over the fuse issue, there is another potential block to you getting your heat pump in. Something called ‘looped supplies’. These basically occur when one feed from the electricity main supplies multiple meters. Typically, often supplies need to be ‘unlooped’ before you are allowed to connect your heat pump. This can be complicated if the cable goes across other properties (common) as you need access etc. Basically looped supplies are a big PITA. This is again an unregulated process with no customer service standards set by the regulator. I’ve been given details from a housing association with major heat pump plans who have been told the unlooping may take up to 2 years! Did I mention that climate change is currently causing the 4^th global mass bleaching event for coral reefs? In theory, these looped supply ‘unloopings’ should be funded by the network companies but I’ve been sent evidence of companies trying to charge unless the households or the installer pushes back.

At this point, I’d like to point out that my own heat pump draws about the same as my toaster when it’s at full pelt.

My research

We, as citizens, have few powers over energy companies in the UK. Yet one unknown trick, is that UK energy networks are legally bound by the ‘Environmental Information Regulations’ (EIR), a regulation that requires them to share any information they have, related to environmental issues, including decarbonisation, within 20 working days. If they don’t the Information Commissioner can be brought in and demand it is shared.

One Saturday evening, the 10^th February 2024 to be precise, I sent in information requests under the EIR regulations to all of the UK’s electricity networks – with a list of questions relating to the heat pump connection process and how they manage (or don’t manage) it. I felt quite naughty – but you only live once hey. The questions were checked over by a couple of installers in advance of me firing them in.

Four of six companies responded, on time. One even phoned me very soon after my submission. Two companies, Northern Powergrid and Scottish Power Energy Networks, didn’t respond despite repeated chasing until they were pushed by more senior powers! Despite missing the legally required 28 days and despite being chased. I found these fun snippets from their websites and business plans:

Northern Powergrid, the network operator in the North East of England tells us in its business plan: ‘Our plan delivers on the call for action from our stakeholders with an ambitious £1bn of investment to support our communities on the way to net zero emissions’ and that ‘Our planning scenario is towards the upper end of the range, forecasting 941,000 EVs  and 309,000 heat pumps by 2028.’

Scottish Power Energy Networks explains that their current ED2 business plan ‘sets out our vision for a network that can meet the challenge of Net Zero’ and that they will ‘support heat pumps’ enabling the connection of 370k heat pumps by 2030.

Oh dear.

Northern Powergrid has, since being chased by a more senior power, provided a partial response on 21/5/24 (annex 1), but not a full answer to my questions. And even this took over 3 months. I’ve included them in the results as ‘failed to respond’ because I’m bored of waiting and they shouldn’t have had to be chased 3 times.

Scottish Power Energy networks responded last week (22/5/2024) and their full response is at the end of this piece in annex 2. Again it’s ‘failed to respond’ I’m afraid because of the very lengthy delay but I’ve included their reply for completeness.

The results

I’ve just compiled what I got back on time in this spreadsheet, feel free to have a look. It highlights some big issues.

The key overarching problems are as follows:

• What the networks do varies significantly. If you are installer working in different parts of the country, you may have to follow more than one process and your service expectations may be different. Nuts!
• There is no one advising installers on maximum demand calculations and the networks seem to just shirk this responsibility, despite demanding people adhere to it. In fairness to SSEN, they have a tool, but it’s very basic and misses some of the things an installer can use for flexibility. There is some sensible advice from Adam Chapman/Heat Geek on this issue – it really doesn’t need to be complicated and DNOs could actually use smart meter data to offer sizing as part of their service.
• The reduction by some networks of the maximum demand to 80 amps and no longer allowing 100 amp fuses is retrograde and I would argue cynical step designed to limite risk to them. Sure there are some flexibilities which allow you to go over 80 amps periodically, if these have been communicated and are understood (which has not necessarily been the case) but 100 amps would always give you more flexibility, freedom and capacity for low carbon technology.
• Often these processes are not digitised, relying on person to person emails. This is nearly always the case if the job is complex or multiple low carbon technologies are being installed.
• While the ENA will be resolving the front end of this process and standardizing this across networks, that does not mean the fuse size issue will be resolved and back end issues will not be resolved by these changes.

I’d note that some networks are being more progressive than others, moving to a connect and manage approach which may allow you to plug in a heat pump in advance of fuse upgrades or unlooping. That’s all well and good unless you are trying to fit a heat pump outside of these areas (the good areas being broadly the South West and South East of England).

Richard’s DNO heat pump service ranking 2024

I was going to rank the networks in my perceived order of how good they were for heat pump connections but am worried about the threat of legal challenge of such an approach and I don’t need that in my life. I’ve also been made aware that Ofgem is now collating customer service surveys on the power networks including heat pump installs and that UKPN is in the lead in these rankings. This data is however not publicly available. So I’ll provide some broad findings:

• Electricity Northwest: Responded on time but apparently not progressive on heat pumps with 80A fuse limit.
• National Grid Distribution: Responded on time, helpful to installers but let down by the 80A issue.
• Northern Powergrid: Failed to respond on time
• Scottish Power Energy Networks: Failed to respond on time
• SSEN: Responded on time and marginally helpful to heat pump installers
• UKPN: Responded on time and helpful to installers but no-one is perfect.

Conclusions

We need to be in a situation where networks are actively helping low carbon technology be added to the power grid. In some cases networks are actively blocking and at best support is passive. All networks need to be offering a 5 star service. Broadly the situation is complex, variable between networks and it slows down and sometimes blocks installations. The front-end of the process may ease with the ENA’s ‘connect direct’ portal but this will not help the cut out sizing issue and what happens after the form is filled in.

As it stands, despite being funded to support heat pump deployment, the UK’s electricity distribution networks have no requirements on them to make connecting a heat pump quick or easy. The money they have been awarded for investment in ED2 will likely be used to bolster capacity in the network but may not actually help end users. Networks are critical to rapid decarbonisation yet some of them are currently adding significant friction to the transition.

It’s no wonder that companies and installers often do not follow the official routes – who could blame them?

MCS, could just remove the requirement for network confirmation from their policy and leave the networks to sort out the mess themselves. This would be an appropriate ‘climate emergency’ response in my opinion. I expect the chaotic connection situation is similar for batteries and EV chargers, but I’ve not investigated the details. I hear that the situation is even more complex when multiple technologies are added at once.

Proactive regulation is needed. And I’d suggest Ofgem needs to do four things.

1. A standard of service is needed to guarantee a speed of response for unlooping and fuse upgrades.
2. Standards need to be the same everywhere across the country.
3. An incentive is needed on the networks here. Belt and braces, both of the above (2 and 3) is probably needed.
4. This 80 amp issues needs thorough investigation. I personally think that 100amps should be allowed wherever low carbon technology needs it. Surely it cannot be up to these companies to simply one day to decide to reduce the maximum electricity demand of UK homes by 20%?

I may have just scratched the surface of these issues and further investigations may be needed. I’ve already discussed these issues with Ofgem linked to their end-to-end connections review, central government on heat pump deployment and the National Infrastructure Commission in relation to their electricity distribution networks review. These issues also emerged during the Environmental Audit Committee’s electrification inquiry. I will be sharing this write up directly with all of these parties

I’m aware the ENA is creating a new app/platform to make the front-end of the requests more straightforward, but that does not mean anything changes once the notifications and applications are received.

If any of the networks or their trade body would like to respond, I’d be happy to include responses at the end of this blog.

Conclusions for installers

It is the most thorough and conscientious installers who follow all of the guidance and requirements ‘to a tee’ who are mostly getting caught here. I’m afraid that this is a problem area and it may not be resolved quickly. If you want to keep fully playing ball, I’m sure there are ways you can bring your maximum demand calculations down, with evidence. I expect in most cases going over 60 amps would be quite rare anyway and the demand calculations often give unnecessarily high results.

But I wouldn’t blame you for playing the game, subject to you ensuring there are no actual safety issues. Intel. suggests most people are.

But I’d also encourage people to reach out to the regulator, trade bodies and installer forums.

Finally a word of thanks to the stoic and ever professional Leah Robson of installer Your Energy Your Way and installer extraordinaire Damon Blakemore for reviewing the content of this piece.

Disclaimer: This piece represents my own views only and not the views of my employers. Any errors are the responsibility of the author. This piece has not received any financial support (i.e. it’s a personal project) and has not benefitted from a language and spelling review.

Annex 1. Response from Northern Powergrid on 21/5/24

Hi Richard

XXXX has just brought this to my attention. I’m not sure why it hasn’t found it’s way through previously, but I apologise that it hasn’t.

I can go through the questions in more detail with guys across the organisation, but a really quick starter:

•            we are actively exploring third party fuse upgrades. We’re currently doing the necessary due diligence around safety standards, procedures, legal and compliance implications and commercial arrangements.

o            We’re pursuing it, but we’re keen to do it properly.

o            If any such arrangement is put in place, it will likely mirror what we do with meter installers etc.

•            On fuse (and service upgrades) we do not charge for single-phase upgrades to 100A, but we do charge for single-three phase upgrades.

o            Also, we do not upgrade to 100A as standard. We do not believe it complies with long established safety protocols.

•            We have material on our website to aid with heat pump installation.

I’ll go through it in more detail but I wanted to share something with you given our lack of response.

I apologise again for that.

Annex 2. Response from Scottish Power Energy Networks on 22/5/24

Good afternoon Richard,

My sincere apologies on the delay you have experienced to our response. I understand from X you are looking for the information below in order to assist people looking to connect low carbon technology (LCT) such as heat pumps etc. I hope the information below is of use and I would also point you in the direction of the ENA Connect Direct platform which has been developed for this same reason.

•            How long does is take for you to process fuse upgrades if needed for domestic heat pump connections and to you have written material on this subject?

Our target is within 30 days where we only need to change the Cut-Out and 90 days where we also need to unloop the supply – this is obviously reliant on the customer availability and for unlooping that impacts on the neighbouring property, agreement with them.

•            Do you charge for fuse upgrades and if so, how much and do you have written material on this process.

SP Energy Network’s policy is to upgrade all customers with an existing connection to a 100A Supply Capacity free of charge, we do this via providing them with a dedicated service cable, current specification Cut-Out and an 80A Fuse.

•            Do you allow heat pump installers to carry out fuse upgrades and if not, do you have plans to?

Less than 1% of our LCT applications result in a Fuse Upgrade as an exclusive activity. If the property has a Fuse which is less than 80A there will usually be an underlying reason, that we will need to address. Most commonly this is an older vintage of Cut-Out or a looped service. If a standard 80A Fuse is installed, we accept this as being adequate to facilitate a 100A demand at the property. This has been backed up with testing of both new and recovered 80A fuses and 100A Fuses. The 100A Fuses do not provide the same level of protection, which is why our policy when carrying out work at the property is to install 80A Fuses.

We are working through the ENA with other DNO’s to understand the risk and any potential benefit of heat pump installers carrying out fuse upgrades.

•            What information do you have on if you find 100amp cut out fuses and you replace these with 80 AMP fuses?

We will replace 100A Fuses on discovery with 80A Fuses.

•            If you allow installers to carry out fuse upgrades, is this all installers or do you have certain requirements and what written information do you have on this?

We do not currently allow installers to carry out fuse upgrades.

•            Do you allow the use of load limiting devices in homes with heat pumps to limit demand and if so do you have any literature or guidance on this?

Our policy on load limiting devices is being reviewed; we recognise the benefit they can provide in potentially allow LCT to connect to our network faster on an interim basis but are concerned about enduring use.

•            Do you offer guidance on methodologies for completing load calculations associated with the connection of heat pumps?

There is a guide on our website on connecting heat pumps including information on different types of heat pumps and a calculator for larger developments of 20 or more properties looking to install LCT

•            If a domestic heat pump connection is not connect and notify and needs to apply to connect, how long does this process take and do you have service standards for this process?

Apply to Connect assessments usually take 5 working days, and typically any work required will be a Cut-Out change or Unlooping.

•            If a domestic heat pump connection is not connect and notify and needs to apply to connect, is this process digitalised?

The ENA Connect Direct platform has been developed to provide a standardised, digital process across the industry.

•            If a looped supply is discovered and needs to be remedied to allow the installation of a heat pump, how long does this take? And who pays? Do you have written information on this?

Please answer to points one and two above for individual properties. Large scale applications for clusters of Heat Pumps require more planning and potentially wider network reinforcement. We work with Housing Association, Local Authorities and suppliers to discuss schemes of this nature and provide access to an on-line tool to assist with planning and budgeting.

•            What regulatory standards are you required to meet with regards to heat pump connections. Please provide written information?

Heat pumps do not have any specific regulatory standards, but are covered by wider standards such as provision of a connection to the electricity network

•            What plans and literature do you have to make the process of heat pump connections easier?

The ENA Connect Direct platform provides a standardised, digital process across the industry. This was developed to help make the process of connecting heat pumps more straightforward and consistent.