HETAS passes two million installation notifications under competent person scheme

HETAS has recorded two million installation notifications since its Competent Person Scheme (CPS) started, the solid fuel and biomass body said, with more than 600,000 of them submitted in the past five years.

The scheme allows registered installers to self-certify that their work complies with the Building Regulations, so homeowners do not need to make a separate building control application, HETAS said. The organisation said it was one of the first to operate a Competent Person Scheme under the framework introduced by the UK government.

Barry Cope, CEO of Cleaner Safer Group, which incorporates HETAS, said: "Reaching two million notifications is a significant milestone for HETAS and reflects the work of our registered Installers and Registration team in supporting safe, compliant installations."

He added: "Behind each notification is work carried out by a competent, registered Installer and an important record for the homeowner."

Where the work is

HETAS published a breakdown of notifications by local authority for the past five years. Cornwall had the largest share at 3.16%, followed by North Yorkshire at 2.96% and Somerset at 2.27%.

Local authority	Share of HETAS notifications, past five years
Cornwall	3.16%
North Yorkshire	2.96%
Somerset	2.27%
Wiltshire	1.84%
Shropshire	1.60%
Dorset	1.58%
Westmorland & Furness	1.36%
Northumberland	1.32%
Buckinghamshire	1.19%
Leeds	1.17%

How the scheme works

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's guidance on competent person schemes describes membership as an alternative to obtaining building regulations approval for certain types of work. HETAS has said there are 21 conditions that all Competent Person Schemes, including its own, must comply with.

HETAS registered installers have 14 days from the completion date to notify an installation on the organisation's Technical Hub, according to a HETAS article on notification deadlines. The body said the 14-day window allows it to meet the 30-calendar-day deadline set by the Building Regulations for passing information to the local authority, and that its updated notification system now automatically prevents installations older than 14 days from being submitted.

HETAS said it would continue to process paper notifications until the end of January 2023, and that most of its registered installers now use the Technical Hub to notify their installations. Under the online system, HETAS sends the compliance certificate to the consumer rather than leaving the installer to do so.

The organisation

HETAS stands for Heating Equipment Testing and Approval Scheme. It describes itself as the only competent person scheme specialising in the installation of solid fuel and biomass appliances, and it also runs the Approved Solid Fuel scheme for mineral-based fuels. Companies House lists HETAS Limited as a private company limited by guarantee without share capital, and Cleaner Safer Group describes it as a non-profit organisation.

Cleaner Safer Group, also a company limited by guarantee without share capital, has completed a full merger with the Building Compliance Testers Association (BCTA), according to the group's website. Cope joined the group as CEO in 2025 after more than a decade as group managing director of the BCTA, and oversees the group's brands.

HETAS said more than 600,000 of the two million notifications were submitted in the past five years.