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GB F-gas rules in 2026-27: what changed and what didn't

Updated 23 October 2026 · SEO Dons Editorial

Last checked 22 October 2026. Each item below is labelled as law, guidance or proposal, with the date shown on its source.

Which F-gas rules apply where?

In Great Britain the rules are Regulation 517/2014 as retained and amended, which legislation.gov.uk publishes as the UK version, plus the Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Regulations 2015 that enforce them. The Environment Agency is the regulator for organisations registered in England; other organisations contact the relevant regulator for Scotland or Wales.

Northern Ireland sits in a different system. GOV.UK says it is part of the EU fluorinated gas system, and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) says the EU's new F-gas law came into operation on 11 March 2024 and applies directly there. That is Regulation (EU) 2024/573. Its page, which carries no date, adds that officials are still assessing the law and the legislation needed for offences and penalties. Everything else in this article is about Great Britain.

A business with sites in both places has to follow both systems. GOV.UK tells organisations with a registered office in Northern Ireland to contact the Northern Ireland Environment Agency. Summaries that mix the two sets of dates are easy to find, so check which regime a date belongs to before acting on it.

What did Defra propose, and what has it decided?

DateEventStatus
5 November 2025Defra publishes its consultation, "Amending the hydrofluorocarbon phasedown schedule"Proposal
17 December 2025Consultation closesClosed
15 May 2026Defra statement: further work needed; no legislation in 2026 to change the steps from 1 January 2027Decision on timing
"Later this year"Report summarising responses and next stepsPromised; not on the GOV.UK page when checked

The proposal was a faster, deeper phasedown: Defra's announcement described an almost full phase-out of HFCs by 2048, a 98.6% cut, with changes from 2027, against the current target of a 79% cut by 2030. The consultation page itself does not set out the year-by-year percentages, so this article gives none for the proposal.

On 15 May 2026 Defra said that, based on the 137 responses, further work is required. It added that it will not legislate in 2026 to change the phasedown steps from 1 January 2027. It remains committed to reform and intends to publish a summary of responses and next steps later this year. When this article was checked, the consultation page's update log showed nothing after 15 May 2026.

How can a claim about 2026 or 2027 be checked?

  1. Is it law? Quota steps are in Annex V on legislation.gov.uk, and product bans are in the GOV.UK bans table. If a date is in neither, treat it as unconfirmed.
  2. Is it a proposal? Defra's consultation page is labelled a closed consultation, so what it describes is a proposal until legislation is made.
  3. Is it a guidance edit? Each GOV.UK page has an update log that says what changed, which is how the 27 August 2026 exemptions can be placed.
  4. Which regime? Northern Ireland follows the EU system and Great Britain the retained one.

What does the 1 January 2027 step mean?

Annex V of the retained Regulation sets the cap on HFCs placed on the market as a percentage of a baseline:

YearsPercentage used to set the cap
2024 to 202631%
2027 to 202924%
203021%

The baseline is the annual average placed on the market in 2015 to 2019, plus any necessary adjustment value, less exempted uses. Because Defra will not legislate in 2026, the 24% step takes effect on 1 January 2027 as the law stands. On the figures alone, the 2027 cap is about 23% lower than the 2024 to 2026 cap (7 divided by 31). That is a calculation for this page, not an official forecast.

The cap bites on suppliers, not equipment owners. GOV.UK says quota is needed to produce or import bulk HFCs, and importers of pre-charged equipment may need quota authorisations once they pass 100 tonnes of CO2 equivalent in a calendar year. The law limits quantity, not price, and no official source publishes refrigerant prices, so this article quotes none. A quote that includes refrigerant should carry its date.

What changed on GOV.UK in 2026?

  • 3 March 2026, qualifications page. The update log says only that the address for the Building Engineering Services Association was updated.
  • 19 May 2026, charging scheme. Charges payable to the Environment Agency rise on 1 April each year in line with the Consumer Prices Index, starting 1 April 2027. This concerns fees, not leak checks or refrigerant choice.
  • 3 June 2026, quota page. A link to the European Commission website was updated.
  • 27 August 2026, bans page. The log says three exemptions were added to the table for single split systems under 3kg. The page does not say which three; the exceptions it lists include larger systems such as chillers and air-to-water single splits.

On legislation.gov.uk, the latest instruments listed as amending the retained Regulation are 2023 and 2024 professional-qualifications regulations, and none is dated 2026. The site warns that its revised text may not be fully up to date, so the GOV.UK pages remain the working reference.

What did not change?

The core duties for existing equipment sit on GOV.UK pages last updated or published on 21 August 2019: leak checks, company certification and record-keeping. The F-gas regulations guide explains the thresholds, and the certificate check covers how to verify a contractor. GOV.UK still says it is breaking the law not to have the right leak checks or to leave leaks unfixed, and that a civil penalty is possible.

The product bans are also as before. The table is headed "F gases banned in new products", so it concerns equipment placed on the market. Movable air conditioning with HFCs above GWP 150 is banned now, and single split systems under 3kg with a GWP above 750 from 2025. The air conditioning ban page sets out what that does and does not mean. The refill ban on virgin gas above GWP 2,500, last updated 17 July 2023, also stands.

What should owners and specifiers do now?

  • Plan on the law as written. The 24% step applies from 1 January 2027. Treat tighter reform as possible but undated.
  • Date every refrigerant assumption. A quote for air conditioning replacement should state the refrigerant, GWP basis, charge and CO2 equivalent. The GWP table shows how to read them, and the guide to comparing HVAC quotes covers the rest.
  • Consider alternatives early. Defra's announcement noted that many air conditioning and heat pump manufacturers already offer units using alternative gases.

Readers who want quotes can send an enquiry through the site's form.

Sources

Common questions

Has Defra confirmed a new phasedown schedule?

No. On 15 May 2026 it confirmed only that it will not legislate in 2026 to change the steps from 1 January 2027. It said further work is required and that a report on responses and next steps would follow later in the year. The tighter schedule remains a proposal.

Does the 2027 step ban any air conditioning equipment?

No. The Annex V percentages cap how much HFC can be placed on the market. Product bans are listed separately on GOV.UK, and that table gives its dates as banned now or, for single split systems, from 2025.

Do the EU's 2024 F-gas rules apply to a building in Great Britain?

No. DAERA says the EU law applies directly in Northern Ireland, and GOV.UK describes Northern Ireland as part of the EU system. This article and the GOV.UK pages it cites cover England, Scotland and Wales.

Where can the current position be checked?

The Defra consultation page and the GOV.UK F-gas guidance collection each show a last-updated date and an update log. Check those dates before relying on any figure, including those in this article.

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