Cornwall tops HETAS list as notifications pass two million

Had a wood burner or biomass boiler fitted in the last few years? You may have helped put Cornwall at the top of a national table.

HETAS, the independent not-for-profit organisation supporting cleaner and safer solid fuel and biomass heating, has received its two millionth installation notification. It’s a big moment for the Competent Person Scheme it launched back in 2005. And over the past five years, no Local Authority area has accounted for a bigger share of those notifications than Cornwall.

Cornwall ahead of North Yorkshire and Somerset

More than 30% of all the installation notifications registered through HETAS were submitted in the past five years. Cornwall made up 3.16% of them during that period, ahead of North Yorkshire on 2.96% and Somerset on 2.27%.

Here’s the top ten:

Local Authority	Share of HETAS notifications in the past five years
Cornwall	3.16%
North Yorkshire	2.96%
Somerset	2.27%
Wiltshire	1.84%
Shropshire	1.60%
Dorset	1.58%
Westmorland & Furness	1.36%
Northumberland	1.32%
Buckinghamshire	1.19%
Leeds	1.17%

How the notification process works

When a HETAS Registered Installer finishes notifiable installation work in England or Wales, they have to notify HETAS within 14 days of completion.

By doing that, the installer self-certifies that the work complies with the relevant Building Regulations. That includes Part J, which covers combustion appliances and fuel storage systems.

HETAS then notifies the relevant Local Authority Building Control (LABC) and arranges for a Certificate of Compliance to be issued to the homeowner.

What it means if you’re having a stove fitted

So if a HETAS Registered Installer does your installation and the scheme covers it, you don’t need a separate Building Regulations application for that work.

The installer handles the notification. You get the Certificate of Compliance.

“An important record for the homeowner”

Barry Cope is CEO of Cleaner Safer Group, which brings together HETAS, Woodsure, ATTMA, SITMA and The Building Performance Hub.

“Reaching two million notifications is a significant milestone for HETAS and reflects the work of our registered Installers and Registration team in supporting safe, compliant installations,” Barry said.

“Behind each notification is work carried out by a competent, registered Installer and an important record for the homeowner. We’re proud of the role our scheme plays in making that process straightforward, while supporting high standards across the solid fuel and biomass sector.”