UK to ban sales of R410A single split AC units from 1st January
The Environment Agency has announced that from 1st January 2025, single split air conditioning systems with a GWP of more than 750 will be banned from sale.
The ban will apply to units containing refrigerants such as R410A, marking the latest step in the phase-out of what was previously the standard air conditioning refrigerant.
The 2025 ban in the UK, which applies to ‘single split air conditioning systems containing less than 3 kg of F-gases, that contain, or whose functioning relies upon, F-gases with a global warming potential (GWP) of 750 or more,’ follows the EU F-Gas regulation, as amended and retained in UK legislation.
The EA said:
Single split air conditioning systems’ means systems for room air conditioning that consist of one outdoor unit and one indoor unit linked by refrigerant piping, needing installation at the site of usage. Common fluorinated greenhouse gases that this ban will apply to are R407C and R410A.
The agency warned:
Undertakings that do not comply with the 2025 ban are breaking the law and are liable for enforcement action. The Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Regulations…enable regulators in England and Scotland to issue civil penalties up to £200,000 to undertakings breaching the requirements of the Regulations. Enforcement notices and possible fines can also be applied by enforcing authorities/courts in Wales for breaches of F-gas provisions.
It added that the UK legislation will phase down the use of HFCs by 79% by 2030 and this will make refrigerants with a higher GWP harder to obtain and more expensive.
The Environment Agency stressed that ‘placing on the market’ means supplying or making available to another party in any part of Great Britain for the first time, for payment or free of charge, or using for its own account in the case of a producer, and includes customs release for free circulation in any part of Great Britain. These goods can be sold after 1st January 2025 by retailers/resellers if they were released for free circulation in Great Britain before 1st January 2025.
The EA said:
You will need to demonstrate that goods falling into this category advertised for sale were placed on the market in GB before 1 January 2025. If you’re unsure if this ban applies to you, check which category your product falls into and which HFC it uses with your manufacturer and/or supplier.
It advises consulting the product manufacturer and/or supplier for information on climate friendly alternatives and consult relevant trade associations for further advice and guidance. Guidance is available from the cooling umbrella body ACRIB here.
The main enforcing authorities in GB are the Environment Agency, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Natural Resources Wales, Welsh Government and Welsh local authorities.
