duration

Location
Virtual

Heat network regulation is live, with registration due in January 2027. For providers’ heat network, asset, income and customer service leads, this practical half-day session explores clearer billing, earlier affordability support and effective complaints management, with Citizens Advice, Energy Ombudsman and lessons from Camden Council.

  • Read more

    For landlords with communal or district heating, unclear bills and poorly coordinated services can mean resident hardship, disputed charges and complaints. Getting the service right matters for residents, income collection and staff workload.

    With Ofgem regulation now live and registration due by 26 January 2027 for relevant operators and suppliers, this practical event connects the requirements with everyday delivery. Hear resident and complaints perspectives alongside Camden’s experience, and identify improvements to billing, communication, support and responsibility across teams.

    Who it is for

    Managers, operational leads and colleagues delivering heat network services in councils, housing associations and ALMOs, particularly:

    • Heat network, asset management and compliance teams
    • Heat charging, service charge, finance and income teams
    • Complaints, customer service and resident engagement teams
    • Housing management, tenancy sustainment and financial inclusion teams supporting affected residents.

    Who you will hear from

    • Damian Roche, Director, HQN, will chair, with an opening scene-setting session proposed on the regulatory picture and practical priorities for landlords
    • Deborah Toner, Citizens Advice, will explore residents’ experiences of billing and affordability, and how landlords can improve communication, recognise difficulties earlier and connect people with advice
    • Energy Ombudsman will explain its role in heat network complaints, routes to independent redress and lessons for improving complaint handling
    • Mary Harvey, Heat Charges Manager, Camden Council, will share progress, challenges and practical lessons on heat charging, resident communication and coordinating responsibilities.

    What we will cover

    • Turning regulatory expectations into clear responsibilities and practical service priorities
    • Improving bills and communication, spotting affordability problems and connecting residents with support
    • Resolving complaints effectively and applying lessons from Camden’s experience.
  • Our speakers

    Damian Roche, Director, HQN
    Damian is one of HQN’s experts on the consumer standards. He has played a key role in our consultancy projects since the new regulatory framework began its journey into law and supported a wide range of organisations (local authorities, housing associations and ALMOs) with their self-assessments and improvement plans. His particular areas of expertise are in customer engagement and wider stakeholder engagement as well as governance, complaints management.
    Damian is a regular speaker at HQN events and recently devised and delivered a series of workshops to assist providers with their preparations for the new regulatory framework. He has developed toolkits for use in self-assessments, the latest covering the empty homes and lettings process and our condensed toolkit for the regulation of social housing.
    As well as the learning and insight that Damian has gained through consultancy and project work Damian also has hands-on practical experience of delivering services. He has worked in the housing sector for more than 20 years, much of which has been at a senior/executive level, including eight years as Director of Customer Experience for Accent Housing.

    Mary Harvey, Heat Charges Manager, Camden Council

    Mary Harvey works full-time at the London Borough of Camden as Heat Charges Manager. She is a member of the Association of Accounting Technicians (MAAT), following her AAT qualification. Over the years, she has built a strong and varied career, spending 28 years in the private sector before moving into the public sector, where she has proudly worked with Camden for the past nine years.

    Mary gained her AAT qualification at a Chartered Accountants, where she worked as an AAT Trainee, Credit Controller and VAT Senior, before becoming a Billing Manager and Billing Co-Ordinator. It was the skills learnt in the roles as Billing Manager and Billing Co-ordinator that led her to her current role as Heat Charges Manager. In this role, she manages a team and is responsible for the metered and non-metered heat charges for circa 15,000 residents connected to 270 Camden District Heat Networks and Camden’s Bulk Gas Networks.

    Through both her personal and professional experiences, Mary is committed to giving back, supporting her community, and contributing positively to charitable causes.

    Deborah Toner, Senior Policy Researcher – Heat Networks, Citizens Advice
    Deborah Toner is a Senior Policy Researcher in the Energy team at Citizens Advice, which became the statutory advocate for heat network consumers in April 2025. Her policy work focuses on the intersections between housing law and heat network regulations, compliance and zoning.

  • Programme

    9:30am Welcome and introductions

    Damian Roche, Director, HQN

    9:40am Getting regulation-ready: practical priorities for social landlords

    Damian Roche, Director, HQN
    • The regulatory position, the January registration deadline and priorities for social landlords
    • Understanding your organisation’s role and coordinating responsibility across teams and delivery partners
    • Connecting compliance with clearer information, responsive services and better resident outcomes.

    10:10am When things go wrong with heat networks

    • What the Energy Ombudsman can consider and when a complaint can reach independent redress
    • Clarifying the appropriate complaints route where heat supply, landlord services and charges overlap
    • Practical lessons on records, communication and resolving disputes, with examples where available.

    10:45am Break

    11:00am Insights into the resident experience

    Deborah Toner, Senior Policy Researcher – Heat Networks, Citizens Advice
    • What residents’ experiences reveal about unclear bills, communication and barriers to support
    • Practical challenges where heating charges sit within rent or service charges
    • Recognising financial difficulties earlier and connecting residents with appropriate support and independent advice.

    11:30am Heat networks in practice

    Mary Harvey, Heat Charges Manager, Camden Council
    • How Camden’s approach has developed, its progress and priorities still being worked through
    • The practical implications for heat charging, resident communication and coordination across teams
    • Challenges encountered, lessons learned and suggestions for landlords reviewing their arrangements.

    12:00pm Discussion, Q&A and wrap-up

    12:30pm Close

  • Cancellations and substitutions

    If you are unable to attend an event or public training course, please let us know in writing (email is fine) at least 48 hours before. Please email [email protected]

    Otherwise, a cancellation fee of £60 plus VAT will be chargeable.

    If you are using a package place to attend and do not inform us within the agreed time frame, then a place will be taken to cover your non-attendance.

    Cancellations must be made in writing and will be acknowledged by HQN Limited.

  • Price and booking

    If you would like to send multiple members of your team to any of our events, please get in touch with [email protected] to find out about available deals for purchases of multiple places.

    Tickets

    Ticket Type Price Spaces
    Early bird Member ticket
    Available until 5:00pm on 3 November 2026    		 £160.00
    Early bird Non-member ticket
    Available until 5:00pm on 3 November 2026    		 £210.00
    Member ticket £200.00 N/A
    Non-member ticket £250.00 N/A

    Registration Information

    Booking Summary

    Please select at least one space to proceed with your booking.

    If you experience any issues when submitting your booking, please email [email protected] with the name and date of the session along with the delegate name(s), email address(es) and job title(s) and we'll process the booking for you.

Dates



03 December 2026
9:30am - 12:30pm
Book now

This event comes with a professional development certificate

Making a booking:

You don’t need to be logged in to make a booking.

Step 1: Select the number of delegates you would like to book on this session
Step 2: Complete the delegate details
Step 3: Check the details, tick the consent box, and press the book now button
Step 4: Member discounts will automatically be applied on the next page
Step 5: To use a coupon code please enter this at the top of the checkout page by clicking on the link
Step 6: Complete the booking details
Step 7: Confirm your booking
Step 8: You will receive a confirmation email with an order number, if you don’t receive this within 24 hours please get in touch with us – [email protected]