F-gas regulations for refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pumps

The legal framework

In Great Britain the EU F-gas Regulation (517/2014) was retained after Brexit and amended to work as GB law, with the Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Regulations 2015 providing enforcement and civil penalties. It covers HFCs, PFCs and SF6, measured in tonnes of CO2 equivalent (tCO2e), which is the mass of gas multiplied by its global warming potential (GWP). In Northern Ireland the EU's replacement Regulation (EU) 2024/573 applies under the Windsor Framework, with a faster phase-down and more bans.

Defra consulted in 2025 on changing the GB phase-down and adding new restrictions. In May 2026 it confirmed it would not legislate in 2026 to change the phase-down steps due from 1 January 2027 and would set out next steps later. Until new regulations are made, the retained rules below apply.

Leak checks for equipment owners

Hermetically sealed equipment is exempt unless it contains 10 tCO2e or more. Leak detection systems must themselves be checked annually (every six years on switchgear). Any leak found must be repaired without undue delay and re-checked within a month. Converting charge to tCO2e: a system holding 10kg of R410A (GWP 2,088) is 20.9 tCO2e, so it needs six-monthly checks.

Tip: your maintenance contractor should already hold the F-gas records and schedule the checks, but the legal duty sits with the operator. Ask for the log each year.

Records, certification and labelling

• Records: for each item of equipment subject to leak checks, keep the quantity and type of F-gas, amounts added or recovered, the identity of the certified company that serviced it, dates and results of leak checks, and decommissioning details. Keep them for at least five years and make them available to the regulator.
• Certification: anyone who installs, services, maintains, repairs, leak-checks or decommissions F-gas equipment must hold a personnel qualification (for example City & Guilds 2079 or equivalent), and companies carrying out those activities must hold a company certificate from an approved body such as Refcom or Quidos.
• Labelling: equipment must carry a label stating the F-gas type, quantity and tCO2e; sellers of refrigerant may only supply to certified businesses.
• Recovery: F-gas must be recovered by certified personnel before equipment is disposed of, and sent for reclamation or destruction.

Bans and the HFC phase-down

The phase-down limits the quantity of HFCs, in tCO2e, that producers and importers can place on the GB market each year; it is 31% of the baseline for 2024 to 2026 and falls to 24% from 1 January 2027 (a 22.6% cut) and to 21% in 2030. Quota holders register on the Environment Agency's HFC registry and report annually. Importers of pre-charged equipment must hold quota authorisations.

Key bans in Great Britain include:

• servicing refrigeration equipment with a charge of 40 tCO2e or more using virgin refrigerant with a GWP of 2,500 or more (such as R404A) since 2020; reclaimed or recycled gas may be used until 2030;
• new stationary refrigeration using refrigerants with a GWP of 2,500 or more (with exceptions below -50°C) since 2020;
• new single-split air conditioning containing less than 3kg of F-gas with a GWP of 750 or more from 1 January 2025.

Northern Ireland follows the EU 2024 Regulation, which adds bans on high-GWP refrigerants in new heat pumps and air conditioning in stages from 2027 and an eventual HFC phase-out by 2050.

How to comply, step by step

1. Inventory your equipment

   Every refrigeration, air conditioning, heat pump, vehicle and fire suppression unit with its refrigerant type, charge in kg and tCO2e.

2. Set the leak check schedule

   Apply the 5, 50 and 500 tCO2e thresholds and halve the frequency where leak detection is fitted; diarise the checks.

3. Use certified contractors

   Check the engineer's qualification and the company's certificate before any work on the system.

4. Keep the F-gas log for five years

   Charges, top-ups, recoveries, leak checks and repairs, with the contractor's details.

5. Plan refrigerant replacement

   Identify equipment on R404A, R410A and other high-GWP gases, budget for retrofits or replacement before supply tightens in 2027 and bans bite.

Enforcement and penalties

The Environment Agency (with SEPA and NRW) enforces the GB rules using civil penalties under the 2015 Regulations. Schedule 4 sets a default maximum of £200,000 per breach, with £100,000 for most leak-check, certification, recovery and labelling duties, £50,000 for record-keeping and reporting failures, and £10,000 for certain quota and administrative breaches. The Agency also carries out spot checks on supermarkets, cold stores and installers, and prosecutes the sale of refrigerant to uncertified buyers.

How it differs across the UK

E England

Retained F-gas Regulation 517/2014 and the 2015 Regulations, enforced by the Environment Agency, which also runs the GB HFC registry and quota system.

W Wales

Same GB rules, enforced by Natural Resources Wales alongside the Environment Agency's GB-wide quota administration.

S Scotland

Same GB rules, enforced by SEPA.

NI Northern Ireland

Regulation (EU) 2024/573 applies under the Windsor Framework, enforced by NIEA: a steeper HFC phase-down, additional bans on high-GWP gases in new equipment from 2027 and a phase-out of HFCs by 2050.

Key dates

• 1 Jan 2027

  GB HFC phase-down: quota falls to 24% of baseline (a 22.6% reduction in supply)

  HFC producers, importers and, indirectly, all equipment operators EWS

• 2027

  Possible GB F-gas reforms following Defra's 2025 consultation (no legislation yet)

  All F-gas users, installers and importers in Great Britain EWS Proposed

• 1 Jan 2030

  GB HFC phase-down: quota falls to 21% of baseline; end of the reclaimed-gas service exemption for high-GWP refrigerants

  HFC producers, importers and equipment operators EWS

Dates marked “Proposed” are announced or consulted on but not yet law. See the full deadlines calendar.

Penalties and enforcement

Where to do it: official services

• Fluorinated gases (F gases): guidance collection Guidance

  The GB guidance on leak checks, records, certification, bans, quota and reporting. Environment Agency and Defra via GOV.UK EWS

• Checking F gas equipment for leaks Guidance

  The leak check thresholds and frequencies, and leak detection requirements. Environment Agency EWS

• Applying for quota to produce or import F gas Register or apply

  Register on the HFC registry and manage quota and authorisations. Environment Agency EWS

• Qualifications to work with F gas Guidance

  Personnel qualifications and approved company certification bodies. GOV.UK EWS

The law behind this

• Regulation (EU) 517/2014 on fluorinated greenhouse gases (retained in Great Britain) EWS
• Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/310) EWS
• Regulation (EU) 2024/573 on fluorinated greenhouse gases (applies in Northern Ireland) NI

Terms used in this guide

F-gas

A fluorinated greenhouse gas: hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) or sulphur hexafluoride (SF6), used mainly as refrigerants.

Global warming potential (GWP)

How much warming a gas causes compared with the same mass of CO2; R404A is about 3,922, R410A 2,088, R134a 1,430, R32 675.

Tonnes CO2 equivalent (tCO2e)

The refrigerant charge in tonnes multiplied by its GWP; the unit used for leak check thresholds and quota.

HFC quota

The annual allowance, in tCO2e, that a producer or importer may place on the GB market under the phase-down.

Company certificate

The certification a business must hold to install, service or decommission F-gas equipment, issued by bodies such as Refcom or Quidos.

Full glossary