UK F-Gas regulations make it illegal to work on systems containing fluorinated greenhouse gases without certified individuals and a registered company. Mandatory for AC, refrigeration, and heat pump engineers.
| Issued by | Environment Agency / City & Guilds / Refcom |
|---|---|
| Typical cost | £450 |
| Who needs it | Air conditioning engineers, heat pump engineers, refrigeration engineers |
What you need to get it
4 requirements, and what counts as evidence for each.
Engineer F-Gas Qualification
Each engineer must hold a City & Guilds 2079 qualification (or equivalent) in the relevant category: Cat I (all systems), Cat II (≤3kg non-hermetic), Cat III (hermetic ≤6kg), Cat IV (recovery only). The category must match your intended scope of work.
Evidence: City & Guilds 2079 certificate for each engineer, showing category.
Company F-Gas Registration
The company (not just the individual) must be registered with an approved certification body such as Refcom, ACRIB, or BESA. Registration proves you have certified operatives and suitable equipment.
Evidence: Refcom (or equivalent) company certificate number and registration confirmation.
Certified Recovery Equipment
You must own (or have access to) calibrated, certified refrigerant recovery equipment. Releasing F-Gas to atmosphere is illegal.
Evidence: Proof of ownership/access to certified recovery equipment.
F-Gas Record-Keeping System
Maintain an F-Gas log for every system you work on (refrigerant type, quantity added/removed, leak checks, etc.). Required for systems ≥5 tonne CO₂ equivalent.
Evidence: F-Gas equipment register template or software solution.
What you have to keep doing
Getting it is the easy part. Keeping it means:
Statutory Leak Checks
Carry out periodic leak checks on systems above 5 tonne CO₂e (annually), 50 tonne CO₂e (every 6 months), and 500 tonne CO₂e (every 3 months).
Annual Company Registration Renewal
Renew company registration with your certification body annually. Individual engineer qualifications do not expire but the company registration does.
Is it worth it?
At £450, the question isn’t the fee — it’s whether it wins you work. For air conditioning engineers it usually does, because it’s the first thing a cautious customer or a commercial buyer checks. Most trades hold accreditations and then hide the logos in the footer. If you’ve paid for it, it belongs where customers actually look.
Apply via Environment Agency / City & Guilds / Refcom
Tracking it
Accreditations lapse quietly. The renewal date lands in a busy month, nobody spots it, and you find out when a customer asks for the certificate. Gaffer keeps your accreditations, evidence and renewal dates in one place and reminds you before they expire.