Announced
Zoning government response and Warm Homes Plan published
The government has published its response on heat network zoning, setting out which buildings must connect, and the Warm Homes Plan, with £1bn for heat networks this Parliament.
Two documents landed on 21 January 2026 that together set the direction for heat networks in England. The first is the government's long-awaited response to its heat network zoning consultation. The second is the Warm Homes Plan.
Who would have to connect
The response confirms three categories of building that can be required to connect inside a designated zone. They are new buildings that receive planning permission after the zone is designated[source]; existing buildings with communal heating, both domestic and non-domestic[source]; and existing non-domestic buildings with a wet heating system and average heat demand above 100 MWh a year[source]. Most commercial owners will fall into that last group, if they fall into any.
If a building is covered, the process starts with a connection notice. The policy gives owners at least 6 months from receiving the notice[source] to agree a connection date with the zone developer or apply for a temporary exemption. The connection window itself must be at least 12 months long[source].
The response also sets out exemption grounds and proposes penalties of up to £1 million or 10% of annual turnover, whichever is higher[source] for failing to comply.
The Warm Homes Plan
For zoning, the most important line is the commitment to introduce zoning in 2026. The plan also creates the Warm Homes Agency, which matters because the national Heat Network Zoning Authority sits within DESNZ at first, then moves to the Warm Homes Agency once that is set up[source].
Policy, not yet law
Everything in the response is policy. It still has to be turned into regulations and approved by Parliament, and details could change along the way. The response expected regulations to be laid in spring 2026, subject to parliamentary time. No zones can be designated until those regulations are in force.
What it means for building owners
For the first time, owners have a clear picture of what zoning is meant to look like: who is in, how long you would have to respond, and what you could be exempt from. If you manage a large non-domestic building with a wet heating system, now is the time to work out your annual heat demand and check it against the 100 MWh line. Our 100 MWh guide explains how.
Looking back from November 2026, the zoning regulations are not yet laid before Parliament[source], so the spring 2026 expectation has slipped.