If you operate any commercial property with air conditioning, refrigeration, heat pumps or chillers, F-Gas regulations apply to you. The rules have evolved since Brexit, and 2026 brings new realities for what UK operators need to do.
Here's what you actually need to know.
What is F-Gas?
"F-Gas" is shorthand for fluorinated greenhouse gases: the refrigerants used in most cooling and heating equipment. They're potent climate impact gases (some thousands of times more warming than CO₂ per kilo), which is why they're regulated. The framework controls leakage, mandates record-keeping, and progressively phases down the highest-impact refrigerants.
In the UK in 2026, the rules are based on the GB F-Gas Regulation (a retained version of EU 517/2014, with some divergence). Northern Ireland still follows the EU regulation directly under the Windsor Framework.
Who's affected?
If you operate equipment containing fluorinated gases, you're an "operator" with legal duties. This covers:
- Commercial air conditioning
- Commercial and industrial refrigeration
- Heat pumps using F-Gas refrigerants
- Chillers and process cooling
- Some firefighting systems
"Operator" usually means the property owner or tenant who has day-to-day control over the equipment. If you're a landlord with HVAC plant in a tenanted property, your lease determines who counts as operator.
What do operators have to do?
Three core duties:
1. Use qualified contractors
All work on F-Gas equipment (installation, servicing, leak checking, decommissioning, recovery) must be carried out by F-Gas qualified engineers, working for an F-Gas certified company. This means:
- Individual engineers hold F-Gas qualifications
- The company holds REFCOM or equivalent certification
2. Carry out leak checks at the required frequency
Frequency depends on the refrigerant charge size in CO₂-equivalent tonnes:
| CO₂-equivalent charge | Minimum leak check frequency |
|---|---|
| Under 5 tonnes | None (but recommended) |
| 5 to 50 tonnes | Every 12 months |
| 50 to 500 tonnes | Every 6 months |
| 500 tonnes and over | Every 3 months |
If the equipment has an automatic leak detection system in place and operating correctly, the frequency can be halved.
3. Keep records
For each piece of equipment over the threshold, you must maintain records of:
- Refrigerant type and quantity
- Refrigerant added or recovered (with dates and reasons)
- Leak checks (dates, results, action taken)
- Engineer details (name, certification)
- Service activities
Records must be kept for at least 5 years and produced if requested by the regulator (in Great Britain, the Environment Agency or equivalent).
The high-GWP phase-down
The F-Gas rules are progressively reducing the supply of high-Global-Warming-Potential refrigerants. R-404A and R-507A (very high GWP) are largely phased out for new equipment. R-410A is being squeezed. The direction of travel is toward lower-GWP alternatives like R-32, R-454B, R-1234yf and ammonia, CO₂ or hydrocarbons for some applications.
Practical implication: if your equipment uses an older refrigerant, future servicing and repair costs will increase as supply dries up. Capex planning should consider when to replace rather than continue patching.
UK divergence from the EU
Since Brexit, GB has its own F-Gas regulation. It mirrors the 2014 EU regulation but doesn't include the more aggressive 2024 EU updates (which introduced tighter HFC quotas, broader bans on F-Gas use in certain applications, and stricter rules for heat pumps). The UK government has consulted on whether to align with these but hasn't enacted them as of 2026.
For most operators this means:
- If you only operate in GB, current rules continue to apply broadly as they did pre-2024.
- If you operate in Northern Ireland, you fall under the newer EU rules via the Windsor Framework.
- If you operate across the UK and EU, expect to manage two regimes.
Watch the GB F-Gas review outcomes through 2026 for any divergence narrowing.
What happens if you don't comply?
Civil penalties of up to £200,000 per breach. Enforcement is by the Environment Agency in England, Natural Resources Wales, SEPA in Scotland and the NIEA in Northern Ireland. Beyond the fine, non-compliance affects insurance, lease arrangements and sale due diligence.
How Avero handles F-Gas
Avero coordinates HVAC and refrigeration servicing through Avero FM Approved contractors who are F-Gas qualified and REFCOM certified. Every leak check is logged against the asset in Avero FM Works. Refrigerant additions and recoveries are tracked. Records are produced on demand for the regulator, insurer or auditor.
If you need an F-Gas compliance review or ongoing leak check programme, get in touch, or read more about our commercial HVAC service.