Accreditations and compliance

What it is

WRAS is the UK approval scheme for water fittings and the materials in them: anything connected to the mains water supply, including a hot water cylinder. A WRAS approval shows a product meets the water fittings regulations when it’s correctly installed.^1,2

What it covers

Our WRAS approval covers products up to 6,000 litres. It is an approval of the product: the installation itself must still be done in line with the water regulations, which is the installer’s responsibility. For anything larger than 6,000 litres, ask us.

What it means for you

• The product has been assessed as complying with the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 in England and Wales, the Water Supply (Water Fittings) (Scotland) Byelaws 2014 and the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009, when correctly installed.
• To be approved, a fitting is mechanically tested against the regulator’s specification, and the non-metallic materials that touch the water (seals, gaskets, washers, coatings) are tested to BS 6920. That testing checks they don’t leach harmful substances, affect the taste, smell or appearance of the water, or encourage microbial growth.
• Approved products are listed in the WRAS directory, so a water company inspector, specifier or building owner can check an approval for themselves.
• Water fittings have to comply with the regulations. Fitting a WRAS-approved product is the most straightforward way for an installer to show that what they’ve fitted does.

What it is

ErP (Energy-related Products) is the ecodesign and energy labelling framework for products that use energy. For hot water cylinders, the ecodesign rules set a maximum standing heat loss for storage cylinders up to 2,000 litres, and energy labels apply to smaller cylinders, up to 500 litres.^3,4

What it covers

Up to 2,000 litres, which is where the ecodesign rules for hot water storage stop. This is a different figure from our WRAS approval (up to 6,000 litres): they are different schemes and cover different things.

What it means for you

• ErP is a self-certification. The manufacturer tests or assesses the product, keeps the technical documentation and declares that it complies. No outside body certifies it, which is why we say our cylinders are ErP compliant.
• A compliant cylinder meets the minimum energy performance the rules set, so it keeps heat in to at least the required standard, which is what keeps running costs and wasted energy down.
• Where a cylinder carries an energy label, its energy class is published, so you can compare like with like. Ours are on each product’s datasheet and in our domestic cylinder quick reference.

What it is

ISO 9001 is the international standard for quality management systems. It certifies how a company is run, not a particular product. BSI is the independent certification body that audits our system.⁵

What it covers

ISO 9001 is about how we operate. It isn’t a product approval: for that, see WRAS approval on this page.

What it means for you

• We work to documented, controlled processes, and keep the records that show they were followed.
• The standard requires problems to be recorded, investigated and put right at their cause, customer satisfaction to be measured and acted on, and the system to be reviewed and improved over time.
• An independent auditor, BSI, checks that we do what the standard requires, and keeps checking with regular audits. Certification is only kept while those audits are passed.
• It is the evidence of quality management that supplier questionnaires and tender pre-qualification usually ask for.

What it is

The Building Regulations set the legal minimum standards for building work, and the Approved Documents give the official guidance on meeting them. Requirement G3 of Part G covers hot water storage, including the safety devices an unvented cylinder needs.⁶

What it covers

G3 compliance is about the cylinder and its kit. Installing it in line with the Building Regulations, and having the work approved, remains the installer’s responsibility. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own regulations.

What it means for you

• Each unvented cylinder comes with the kit of safety and control devices needed for a G3 compliant installation.
• Approval of the installation itself isn’t ours to give: an unvented cylinder must be fitted by a competent installer, and the work notified to building control (directly or through a competent person scheme).

What it is

The Future Homes Standard is the next step up in the energy efficiency requirements for new homes in England, brought in through a new edition of Approved Document L that is due to take effect in 2027.⁶

What it covers

Registration is planned, not held.

What it means

• We’re preparing for the new requirements now, so our customers aren’t caught out when they come in.
• We plan to register when the new regulations take effect, and we’ll update this page when registration is in place. Until then, please don’t quote it as held.