Accreditation
IOR Registered Engineer
The short version
- Issued byInstitute of Refrigeration (IOR)
- Typical cost£300 a year
- RenewalEvery year
- Who needs itAir conditioning engineers, heat pump engineers, refrigeration engineers
What you need to get it
4 requirements, and what counts as evidence for each.
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F-Gas Certification.
Hold current F-Gas Category I certification (or relevant category for your scope of work). Evidence: F-Gas certificate.
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Engineering Qualifications.
Relevant NVQ Level 3 or engineering degree in refrigeration, HVAC, or related discipline. Evidence: Qualification certificates.
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Relevant Experience.
Demonstrable experience in the refrigeration/AC/heat pump sector. Evidence: CV or employer reference letter.
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IOR Membership Application.
Complete the IOR membership application for the appropriate grade. Evidence: Completed IOR application.
What you have to keep doing
Getting it is the easy part. Keeping it means:
Annual CPD. Complete annual CPD to maintain professional standing.
Annual Renewal. Renew IOR membership annually.
Is it worth it?
At £300, 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.
Tracking it in Gaffer
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.