Installation and maintenance licences for heat networks

Overview

The Scottish Government is consulting on proposals to introduce a new installation and maintenance licence for heat networks, using the Buildings (Heating and Energy Performance) and Heat Networks (Scotland) Bill. The purpose of licensing is to enable heat network organisations to access the statutory rights and powers they require - for example, rights and powers to access land or carry out road works necessary to the installation or maintenance of essential heat network pipework and apparatus.

This consultation sets out our proposals for an installation and maintenance licensing regime and seeks views on how licensing might work in practice. We welcome responses from across the heat and climate change sector and beyond as we develop our proposals in this area.

The rights and powers granted by installation and maintenance licences will help the heat network sector to expand at pace and scale, encouraging investment in our communities and contributing towards meeting Scotland's climate targets.

Read the consultation paper. The consultation paper contains full background information for this consultation. You may find it useful to read or refer to while responding.

Consultation questions preview

The consultation questions are included here for your reference. Please click 'Begin consultation' at the bottom of this page to proceed.

Question 1

Do you agree that Scottish installation and maintenance licences should be opt in, meaning only organisations who want the associated rights and powers need apply?

Question 2

Do you agree that installation and maintenance licences should be granted at organisation level rather than to individual networks, meaning that organisations with multiple heat networks only need to apply for one licence?

Question 3

Do you agree that licences should be applicable to any type of heat network in Scotland irrespective of size or technology?

Question 4

Are there any other considerations for the scope of licensing you wish to highlight?

Question 5

Do you agree with the additional rights and powers which will be available to licence holders?

Question 6

Are there any other rights and powers you feel should be considered for installing and maintaining heat networks?

Question 7

Do you have any views on who the licence regulator should be?

Question 8

Do you agree that the licence application process should focus on industry expertise and financial stability?

Question 9

Do you agree that fuel poverty, greenhouse gas emissions and Just Transition are not appropriate requirements for an opt in installation and maintenance licence?

Question 10

Do you agree licences should be subject to general and specific conditions, and limitations, which may be modified after the licence has been granted?

Question 11

Do you agree licences should not have an end date unless revoked or surrendered?

Question 12

Do you agree there should be a public register of installation and maintenance licences?

Question 13

Is there any other information you think we should include on the public register of installation and maintenance licences?

Question 14

Do you agree that there should be fees associated with recovering the costs of administering installation and maintenance licences?

Question 15

Please provide any further comments on the proposals set out in this consultation.

Useful information about responding to this consultation

As you complete your response, each page will provide the option to 'Save and come back later' at the bottom. This means you can save your progress and return to the consultation at any time before it closes. If you don't use this feature and leave the consultation midway through, your response will be lost.

Once you have submitted your response, you can enter your email address to get a pdf copy of your answers sent to you.

On the 'About You' page at the end of this consultation, organisations will have the opportunity to tell us more about their work and/or how their response was informed.

After the consultation has closed there will be a few months delay before any responses are published. This is because we must check any responses to be published abide by our Terms of Use.

All relevant submitted responses will be analysed. This may be carried out by third party organisations who Scottish Government, its executive agencies or non-ministerial offices, contract to do this work. Such data sharing will be governed by appropriate contractual arrangements to keep your data secure.

An analysis report will usually be published some months after the consultation has closed. This report will summarise the findings based on all responses submitted. It will be published on the Scottish Government website and you may be notified about it if you choose to share your email address with us.

You can also join our consultation mailing list where we regularly list newly published analysis reports (as well as new consultations).

Give us your views

Begin consultation

Closes 5 Jun 2026

Opened 13 Mar 2026

Contact

HeatNetworks@gov.scot

Interests

  • Building and Planning
  • Business, Industry and Innovation
  • Communities and Third Sector
  • Energy
  • Environment and Climate Change
  • Housing and Regeneration
  • Main hub