Combined Heat and Power Quality Assurance Scheme
The Combined Heat and Power Quality Assurance (CHPQA) Scheme is a voluntary programme for assessing CHP schemes. It is administered by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (DBEIS).
The responsible person - the person in charge of managing the scheme - can register to apply for certification in accordance with the criteria for Good Quality CHP.
Applying to CHPQA
You can find out what benefits you may be entitled to, by submitting a self-assessment and certification form:
- Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy: Applying to CHPQA
- Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy: Combined Heat and Power Quality Assurance Programme. Detailed guidance about the Certification for Good Quality CHP and CHPQA financial incentives.
- Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy: Combined heat and power quality assurance (CHPQA) guidance notes. Simplified guidance about the Certification for Good Quality Combined Heat and Power (CHP).
- CHPQA Enquiry line: Tel 0870 190 6196
How assessment works
Assessment for the CHPQA Scheme is based on threshold criteria - there are indices for efficiency - which must be met or exceeded for your scheme to qualify.
In order to determine the quality of your scheme, DBEIS will assess data on:
- how much fuel is used
- how much power is generated
- how much heat is supplied.
If your scheme qualifies for the CHPQA Scheme, you will be sent a CHPQA Certificate and a proforma letter to apply for a Secretary of State Exemption Certificate. You will need this to claim your benefits.
Maintaining certification with the CHPQA scheme
In order to maintain certification with the CHPQA Scheme, you will need to submit information about your scheme annually to the DBEIS. They can assess the actual performance of your CHP scheme, as well as the expected performance of newly designed or upgraded schemes.
Financial incentives of CHPQA
Schemes that are, under the UK Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Quality Assurance programme, considered as being highly efficient, are certified as 'Good Quality CHP schemes'. Schemes that are certified, fully or partially, as 'Good Quality CHP' schemes, are eligible for a range of incentives. Read about most of them at: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy: Combined Heat and Power Incentives.
- Business Rating Exemption
- Carbon Price Support Tax Exemption
- Climate Change Levy Exemption (in respect of electricity directly supplied)
- Contracts for Difference
- Feed-in-Tariff (not for Northern Ireland, and not for new CHP Schemes)
- Hydrocarbon Oil Duty Relief
- Renewable Heat Incentive and Northern Ireland Renewable Heat Incentive (not for non-domestic Northern Ireland new applications)
- Renewable Obligation Certificates (for existing CHP Schemes, but not for new CHP Schemes)
Further information
- Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy: Guidance on the CHPQA Scheme.CHPQA methodology, definitions, QI thresholds, and criteria for Good Quality certification.
- Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy: CHP Focus: UK CHP Development Map
- CHP Focus helpline: Tel 0845 365 5153