F-gas regulations
Plain English. Practical detail. UK context.
F-gas regulations control specified fluorinated greenhouse gases and activities involving equipment that contains them. For refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pumps, the distinction between an individual's qualification and a company's certification is particularly important. Neither is a general permission to undertake every building-services task.
Safety: gas work must only be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer who is qualified for that type of appliance. Check their ID card or the Gas Safe Register. If you smell gas, leave the property and call the gas emergency number: 0800 111 999 in Great Britain or 0800 002 001 in Northern Ireland.
Safety: use a registered electrician, for example one registered with a competent person scheme such as NICEIC or NAPIT, for electrical installation work. Do not remove covers or open electrical equipment yourself.
Last reviewed: (editorial review against the public sources listed below).
Check the equipment and actual activity
Government guidance identifies qualifications for installing, servicing, maintaining, leak checking, recovery and decommissioning relevant stationary refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat-pump equipment. Requirements also exist for other equipment with different scopes. A homeowner should ask what refrigerant and work the proposed job involves. Trainees should not assume that a monobloc installation, a split system and mobile vehicle air conditioning have identical requirements. Work not involving a refrigerant circuit can still need electrical, plumbing or other competence. The appropriate rules depend on the activity, equipment and jurisdiction.
Personal qualifications have categories
The GOV.UK qualifications page, updated in March 2026, distinguishes Category 1 from restricted Categories 2, 3 and 4 for relevant stationary systems. Category 4 leak checking does not permit breaking into the refrigeration circuit. Other categories have defined activity and charge limits. Check the actual certificate rather than describe someone merely as F-gas trained. A manufacturer's product course is not automatically the required personal qualification. Trainees must have an appropriate supervised learning arrangement and should not undertake independent regulated work before meeting its requirements.
Company certification is a separate question
Government company guidance includes sole traders and describes certification for specified work on stationary equipment operated by others. It distinguishes this from servicing only a business's own equipment, while individual qualification requirements still matter. The guidance identifies approved certification bodies and renewal arrangements. Homeowners and contractors should check the relevant business as well as the person carrying out the work. Do not infer company certification from a technician's card or assume that employing one qualified person automatically satisfies every business requirement. There are distinct rules for other equipment categories.
Beyond the certificate
The correct refrigerant, leak prevention, recovery, records and lawful disposal need appropriate arrangements. This overview does not provide handling instructions or a universal leak-check interval; those depend on applicable rules and the actual system. Check current GB and Northern Ireland requirements and any work across borders. HSE guidance also addresses pressure, electrical and workplace hazards. Homeowners should agree commissioning records, normal controls, maintenance and reporting of faults. Trainees should learn accurate documentation as well as practical work. Pay and training costs vary, so compare actual vacancies, current official wage information and written training terms. Certification is an important check, not a substitute for competent system design or safe execution.
Frequently asked questions
Does a company certificate replace a personal qualification?
No. They address different requirements and the actual work must match both where applicable.
Does an F-gas qualification cover all electrical installation?
No. Relevant electrical competence and building requirements remain separate.
Sources and further reading
Public sources and further reading. Sources checked: 8 November 2026. Consult the original for details and later changes.