Every Ofgem heat network data point, Tables 3 to 8
Last checked against Ofgem's published guidance on 15 September 2026. Last updated 16 September 2026. How we check. Not legal advice; see disclaimer and sources.
Ofgem's regular data reporting guidance (10 March 2026) lists 49 data points in six tables: organisation-level finance (Table 3) and, for each network, general information (4), billing (5), vulnerability and debt (6), quality of service (7) and pricing (8). 18 are reported quarterly and 31 annually. Every one is listed below with Ofgem's own name, a plain-English meaning, who reports it and who is exempt. Names are Ofgem's; explanations are ours. Verified 15 September 2026 against the guidance PDF.
Table 3 is reported once per organisation. Tables 4 to 8 are reported per heat network. "Exempt" lists who does not have to provide the data point. Not legal advice; the checker applies these rules to your answers.
Table 3: Financial resilience (organisation level)
| Data point | What it means | When | Who | Exempt | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Confirmation of a compliant Operation/Supply Continuity Plan yes/no | Yes or no: do you have a continuity plan that meets the "Continuity arrangements" authorisation condition? | annual | Supplier and operator | councils and registered social housing providers; industrial networks; self-supply networks | Table 3, p12 |
| Does the authorised person reasonably expect to have sufficient finance and resources available to carry on its regulated heat network activity for the next 12 months? yes/no | Yes or no, answered after your accounts are signed off. If the answer is ever no, Ofgem expects you to contact them. | annual | Supplier and operator | councils and registered social housing providers; industrial networks; self-supply networks | Table 3, p12 |
| What was the authorised person's net profit or loss for the previous financial year? £ | Profit or loss after tax for your whole organisation (not the heat network), as in your accounts. Losses as a negative figure. | annual | Supplier and operator | councils and registered social housing providers; industrial networks; self-supply networks | Table 3, p13 |
| What was authorised person's total income for the previous financial year £ | Total income received or receivable by the organisation in the previous financial year. | annual | Supplier and operator | councils and registered social housing providers; industrial networks; self-supply networks | Table 3, p13 |
| What were the total OPEX (operational expenditure) for the previous financial year £ | Ongoing running costs for the organisation in the previous financial year. | annual | Supplier and operator | councils and registered social housing providers; industrial networks; self-supply networks | Table 3, p13 |
| What is the total value of liquid assets that the authorised person controls or has unrestricted access to £ | Cash and reserves you can use without sign-off from a parent company or anyone else, on the last day of the financial year. Report zero if none. | annual | Supplier and operator | councils and registered social housing providers; industrial networks; self-supply networks | Table 3, p14 |
| Did assets exceed its liabilities at the end of the most recent financial year yes/no | Yes or no: were your total assets (liquid and fixed) worth more than everything you owed at year end? | annual | Supplier and operator | councils and registered social housing providers; industrial networks; self-supply networks | Table 3, p14 |
| Do you hedge (buying fuel in advance)? If yes, how many months ahead and what percentage volume of costs are hedged? yes/no + months + % | Yes or no. If yes, describe how, how many months ahead, and what share of your fuel volume is bought in advance. Hedging is not mandatory. | annual | Supplier and operator | councils and registered social housing providers; industrial networks; self-supply networks | Table 3, p14 |
Table 4: General heat network information
| Data point | What it means | When | Who | Exempt | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total number of domestic customers count | Count the dwellings buying heat from the network, not the people living in them. | annual | Supplier | self-supply networks | Table 4, p15 |
| Total number of non-domestic customers count (+ small business, micro-business) | Non-domestic customers, with a breakdown of how many are small businesses and how many are micro-businesses. Any bulk-supply agreements to another heat network count here too (para 2.18). | annual | Supplier | self-supply networks | Table 4, p15 |
| Total number of Prepayment meters (PPMs), broken down by smart and legacy meters count (smart, legacy) | How many customers use a prepayment meter, split into meters with at least one smart metering technology and legacy meters. | annual | Operator | self-supply networks | Table 4, p15–16 |
| Total number of Heat Cost Allocators (HCAs) in the buildings or on the network, if any count | Devices on radiators that estimate consumption. Count those inside dwellings. | annual | Operator | self-supply networks | Table 4, p16 |
| Total number of heat meters domestic customer dwellings, if any count | Heat and cooling meters inside domestic dwellings. Do not count meters at the plant room or energy centre. | annual | Operator | self-supply networks | Table 4, p16 |
| Total number of customers with smart metering count | Customers with at least one form of smart metering in their dwelling. Not smart equipment in the plant room. | annual | Operator | self-supply networks | Table 4, p16 |
Table 5: Billing
| Data point | What it means | When | Who | Exempt | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billing frequency select all that apply | Monthly, quarterly, biannually, annually or other. Select every frequency you use. | annual | Supplier | industrial networks; self-supply networks; non-domestic-only networks | Table 5, p17 |
| Number of customers by payment method count per method | How many customers pay by prepayment meter, direct debit, or other (standing order, cash, cheque, monthly payment schemes). | annual | Supplier | industrial networks; self-supply networks; non-domestic-only networks | Table 5, p17 |
Table 6: Vulnerability and debt
| Data point | What it means | When | Who | Exempt | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The number of consumers in vulnerable situations count | Domestic consumers or occupants identified as vulnerable and needing priority services. Ofgem says this should match the number on your Priority Services Register. | annual | Supplier | industrial networks; self-supply networks; non-domestic-only networks | Table 6, p18 |
| The number of domestic customers in debt count | Domestic customers who have met the Debt Trigger: over £200 outstanding for three months or more after the bill date, and not on (or moving to) a repayment plan (glossary A2.7). Bundled charges: Still required when heat is bundled with rent or service charge. If you have both bundled and separately billed customers, split the count. | quarterly | Supplier | industrial networks; self-supply networks; non-domestic-only networks | Table 6, p18 |
| The total value of domestic bad debt £ | Heat money owed by customers that you consider unlikely to be repaid or unrecoverable. | annual | Supplier | industrial networks; self-supply networks; non-domestic-only networks | Table 6, p18 |
| The number of domestic customer self-disconnections count | Instances this quarter where a prepayment customer lost supply because their credit ran out. | quarterly | Supplier | industrial networks; self-supply networks; non-domestic-only networks | Table 6, p19 |
| The number of domestic customers disconnected for non-payment count | Instances this quarter where you disconnected a domestic customer for unpaid charges. Count repeat disconnections in the same quarter separately. | quarterly | Supplier | industrial networks; self-supply networks; non-domestic-only networks | Table 6, p19 |
| The number of customers on a repayment plan count | Domestic customers on a repayment plan at the end of the quarter. | quarterly | Supplier | industrial networks; self-supply networks; non-domestic-only networks | Table 6, p19 |
| The number of reconnections due to debt being paid or repayment plan agreed count | Reconnections this quarter of domestic customers you had disconnected. | quarterly | Supplier | industrial networks; self-supply networks; non-domestic-only networks | Table 6, p19 |
| Number of meters involuntarily switched to Prepayment meter count | Meters switched to prepayment this quarter without the customer choosing it. | quarterly | Supplier | industrial networks; self-supply networks; non-domestic-only networks | Table 6, p19 |
Table 7: Quality of service
| Data point | What it means | When | Who | Exempt | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The number of complaints made, broken down by type count per category | All complaints received this quarter (including group complaints), split into: back billing, quality of service, customer service, vulnerability/debt/switching, pricing, other. | quarterly | Supplier | industrial networks; self-supply networks | Table 7, p20 |
| The number of complaints that were group complaints count | Of this quarter's complaints, how many were raised on behalf of several consumers (e.g. by a residents' association). | quarterly | Supplier | industrial networks; self-supply networks | Table 7, p21 |
| The number of complaints referred to the Energy Ombudsman count | Complaints where you sent a letter signposting the Energy Ombudsman, either at 8 weeks or at deadlock. | quarterly | Supplier | industrial networks; self-supply networks | Table 7, p21 |
| The number of complaints resolved by the end of the next working day count | Complaints resolved by the end of the working day after receipt (Day+1). | quarterly | Supplier | industrial networks; self-supply networks | Table 7, p21 |
| The number of complaints resolved within eight weeks count | Complaints resolved after Day+1 but within 8 weeks (56 calendar days) of receipt. | quarterly | Supplier | industrial networks; self-supply networks | Table 7, p21 |
Table 8: Pricing
| Data point | What it means | When | Who | Exempt | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standing charges pence per day, per customer type | Every standing charge level on the network, in pence per day, and which customer type each applies to (domestic, non-domestic, heat supplier). Bundled charges: If the standing charge sits inside a wider service charge, report only the heat network element. | quarterly | Supplier and operator | industrial networks; self-supply networks | Table 8, p22 |
| Unit rates pence per kWh | Every unit rate on the network, in pence per kWh, reported separately. | quarterly | Supplier and operator | industrial networks; self-supply networks | Table 8, p22 |
| Total amount received through connection charges £ | One figure: the total received from one-off connection charges in the quarter. | quarterly | Supplier and operator | industrial networks; self-supply networks | Table 8, p22 |
| Other charges, for example one-off charges £ + summary | Anything that is not a standing charge, unit rate or connection charge: total value, what for, how many customers paid, and the period covered. | quarterly | Supplier and operator | industrial networks; self-supply networks | Table 8, p23 |
| Flat fees £ per day, per customer type | A single fee per day regardless of use (common on unmetered or shared ground loop networks), in £ per day, with the customer type it applies to. Bundled charges: If the flat fee sits inside a wider service charge, report only the heat network element. | quarterly | Supplier and operator | industrial networks; self-supply networks | Table 8, p23 |
| Total charges across all domestic customers £ | Sum of standing charges, unit rate charges, connection charges and other charges billed to all domestic customers in the quarter. | quarterly | Supplier | industrial networks; self-supply networks | Table 8, p23 |
| Total charges across all non-domestic customers £ | The same sum for all non-domestic customers in the quarter. | quarterly | Supplier | industrial networks; self-supply networks | Table 8, p23 |
| Charges for customers at reference usage levels £ per year at 6,000 kWh | What a reference customer using 6,000 kWh in the year would pay. If you have more than one tariff, report the figure for each. | annual | Supplier | industrial networks; self-supply networks; non-domestic-only networks | Table 8, p24 |
| Pricing Methodology text | A written description of how you set prices: cost recovery, a formula, a benchmark, or a cost-avoidance method. | annual | Supplier and operator | industrial networks; self-supply networks | Table 8, p24 |
| Types of costs recovered through standing charge categories | Which cost categories (from Ofgem's list) the standing charge pays for. No values needed. | annual | Supplier and operator | industrial networks; self-supply networks | Table 8, p24 |
| Types of costs recovered through unit charge categories | Which cost categories the unit rate pays for. No values needed. | annual | Supplier and operator | industrial networks; self-supply networks | Table 8, p24 |
| Types of costs recovered through a flat fee categories | Which cost categories the flat fee pays for. No values needed. | annual | Supplier and operator | industrial networks; self-supply networks | Table 8, p24 |
| Types of costs not passed on categories | Costs of running the network that customers do not pay for (from Ofgem's list). No values needed. | annual | Supplier and operator | industrial networks; self-supply networks | Table 8, p25 |
| Funding received categories | Income other than heat charges, such as government funding (from Ofgem's list). No values needed. | annual | Supplier and operator | industrial networks; self-supply networks | Table 8, p25 |
| Fuel input type option | The main fuel used to make heat (e.g. gas). If you buy heat in, pick a "procured heat" option and the fuel behind it if known. | annual | Supplier and operator | industrial networks; self-supply networks | Table 8, p25 |
| Total cost of heat generated/procured £ | One combined figure for the year: fuel costs (gas, electricity) plus any heat bought in. | annual | Supplier and operator | industrial networks; self-supply networks | Table 8, p25 |
| Network generation and heat procured kWh | Total heat generated and bought in over the year. | annual | Supplier and operator | industrial networks; self-supply networks | Table 8, p25 |
| Network demand kWh | Total heat received by customers over the year: sum of dwelling meters, building meters, or an estimate if no readings exist. Estimates accepted. | annual | Supplier and operator | industrial networks; self-supply networks | Table 8, p26 |
| Total revenue £ | Revenue from heat network activities only, for the year. | annual | Supplier and operator | industrial networks; self-supply networks | Table 8, p26 |
| Expenditures (OPEX, CAPEX, REPEX) £ | Running costs for the network in the previous financial year (fuel, maintenance, staff, billing, insurance, compliance). Capital and replacement spend is optional. A portfolio total or an accurate estimate is acceptable. Estimates accepted. | annual | Supplier and operator | industrial networks; self-supply networks | Table 8, p26 |
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Related guides
- Ofgem heat network quarterly reporting: what small networks must submit — The quarterly and annual data points, who reports what, and the windows.
- Heat in the service charge? You are probably a heat supplier — What "bundled charges" mean for reporting and how to work out the heat element.
- All 9 guides to Ofgem heat network reporting
What changed on this page
- 16 September 2026
- Direct answer added at the top; each data point's source now links to that page of Ofgem's guidance PDF; row anchors added so other pages can link to a single data point. No definitions, sources or labels changed.
- 15 September 2026
- First published: all 49 data points transcribed from Ofgem's regular data reporting guidance of 10 March 2026, Tables 3 to 8.
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