F-Gas Regulations Explained for UK Food Businesses

F-Gas regulations affect every food business in the UK that operates commercial refrigeration containing fluorinated greenhouse gases. The rules govern who can handle refrigerants, what records must be kept, and what leak checking is required. Non-compliance carries fines of up to £20,000.

This guide explains what F-Gas regulations mean for London food business operators in plain terms.

What Are F-Gas Regulations?

F-Gas regulations control the use of fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases), which include the hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) used as refrigerants in most commercial refrigeration equipment. The UK F-Gas Regulation, which retained the EU F-Gas Regulation (EU 517/2014) in UK law after Brexit, aims to reduce emissions of these gases, which have a global warming potential hundreds or thousands of times greater than carbon dioxide.

For food business operators, the regulations create three main obligations: use only certified contractors to handle your refrigerants, keep a logbook for applicable systems, and carry out leak checks at the required frequency.

Who Needs F-Gas Certification?

Only companies and individuals with F-Gas certification can purchase, handle, and dispose of refrigerants used in commercial refrigeration. As a food business operator, you are not required to hold F-Gas certification yourself. But you are required to use only certified contractors for any work involving refrigerant handling.

Using an uncertified engineer to top up or recover refrigerant is illegal under UK F-Gas regulations and carries a potential fine of up to £20,000. It also invalidates your equipment manufacturer's warranty and may affect your food safety insurance cover.

Our engineers all hold F-Gas Category 1 certification, which authorises work on all types and sizes of refrigeration system.

Logbook Requirements

Equipment containing 5 tonnes CO2 equivalent (CO2e) or more of refrigerant must have a logbook. The logbook records: the quantity and type of refrigerant installed, any quantities added or removed, the company and engineers involved in servicing, results of leak checks, and any remedial actions taken.

The 5 tonnes CO2e threshold translates to different quantities of physical refrigerant depending on the type. For R404A, one of the most common commercial refrigeration refrigerants, 5 tonnes CO2e is approximately 1.3 kg of refrigerant. For R134a, it is approximately 2.1 kg. Most commercial cold rooms and larger display refrigeration units exceed this threshold.

Leak Check Requirements

The frequency of F-Gas leak checks depends on the quantity of refrigerant in the system. Systems containing 5 tonnes CO2e or more must be leak checked at least once every 12 months. Systems containing 50 tonnes CO2e or more require checks every 6 months, and systems containing 500 tonnes CO2e or more require checks every 3 months.

Leak checks must be carried out by a certified engineer. Systems with a continuous electronic leak detection system are allowed extended leak check intervals under UK regulations.

Phase-Down and Refrigerant Availability

The UK F-Gas Regulation is progressively restricting the supply of high-GWP refrigerants. R404A, which is widely used in commercial refrigeration, has been subject to significant supply restrictions. R22, an older refrigerant, was phased out completely and can no longer be used for top-up or servicing.

If your equipment uses a refrigerant that is being phased down, it is worth discussing with your maintenance contractor whether a refrigerant retrofit or equipment replacement should be planned. Older R404A equipment can often be retrofitted to use lower-GWP alternatives such as R448A or R449A.

What Food Business Operators Need to Do

As a food business operator, your F-Gas obligations are straightforward. Use only F-Gas certified contractors for all refrigeration work involving refrigerant. Keep the equipment logbooks provided by your maintenance contractor. Confirm that your contractor carries out leak checks at the required frequency and records the results.

Your maintenance contractor should handle the technical compliance requirements. Your responsibility is to confirm you are using a certified contractor and to keep the documentation they provide.

Contact our London team if you have questions about F-Gas compliance for your refrigeration equipment.