Bans on F gas in new products and equipment: current and future
Uses of fluorinated gases (F gases) that are banned or will be banned in the future.
You must not place products or equipment containing banned F gases on the market in Great Britain.
If you do, you could receive a civil penalty for breaking the law. For further information, see the Environment Agency enforcement and sanctions policy.
If you see a banned item for sale, report it to [email protected].
Refrigerants: F gases banned in new products
| Type of F gas | Banned uses | Global warming potential | Date of ban | Exceptions from the ban |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and perfluorocarbons (PFCs) | Non-confined direct evaporation systems (where refrigerant can escape into the atmosphere) | All | Banned now | None |
| HFCs | Domestic fridges and freezers | Above 150 | Banned now | None |
| HFCs | Stationary refrigeration equipment | Above 2,500 | Banned now | Systems designed to cool products to below -50°C |
| HFCs – will mainly affect HFC134a, HFC245fa, HFC365mfc | Refrigerators and freezers for commercial use (hermetically sealed equipment) | Above 150 | Banned now | None |
| Any F gas | Multipack centralised refrigeration systems for commercial use with a rated capacity of 40 kW or more. (Product storage, display or dispensing in retail and food services to sell to end users.) | Above 150 | Banned now | Primary refrigerant circuit of cascade systems with fluorinated greenhouse gases that have a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of less than 1,500 |
Insulating foam: F gases banned in new products
| Type of F gas | Banned uses | Global warming potential | Date of ban | Exceptions from the ban |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All F gases | One component foam aerosols | Above 150 | Banned now | None |
| HFCs | Extruded polystyrene foam (XPS) | 150 | Banned now | None |
| HFCs | All foams, including polyurethane | 150 | Banned now | Except when required to meet national safety standards |
Air conditioning and heat pump systems: F gases banned in new products
| Type of F gas | Banned uses | Global warming potential | Date of ban | Exceptions from the ban |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HFCs | All new cars | Above 150 | Banned now | None |
| HFCs | Movable air conditioning equipment (user can move it between rooms) | Above 150 | Banned now | None |
| All F gases | ‘Single split’ systems that contain less than 3kg of refrigerant (a system with one cooling coil connected to a remote condensing unit) | Above 750 | From 2025 | Larger air-conditioning or heat pump systems, such as chillers or larger split systems |
Aerosols: F gases banned in new products
| Type of F gas | Banned uses | Global warming potential | Date of ban | Exceptions from the ban |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HFCs | Novelty aerosols, such as ‘silly string’, and signal horns | Above 150 | Banned now | None |
| HFCs | Technical aerosols, including computer keyboard cleaners and plumbing pipe freezers | Above 150 | Banned now | Except when required to meet national safety standards. Medical applications. |
Fire protection systems: F gases banned in new products
| Type of F gas | Banned uses | Global warming potential | Date of ban | Exceptions from the ban |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PFCs | All fire protection systems | All | Banned now | None |
| HFC23 | All fire protection systems | All | Banned now | None |
F gases which produce trifluoromethane as a by-product
When manufacturing F gases in Great Britain if you produce trifluoromethane as a by-product, you must recover or destroy it. This includes trifluoromethane produced during the manufacturing of feedstocks for F gas production.
When importing F gases into Great Britain if trifluoromethane is a by-product of the F gas manufacturing process, you must:
- get a declaration from the producer that the trifluoromethane has been recovered or destroyed
- supply this declaration with your import paperwork
This includes trifluoromethane produced during the manufacturing of feedstocks for F gas production.
Magnesium smelting: banned sulphur hexafluoride
You must not use sulphur hexafluoride for:
- magnesium die-casting
- recycling magnesium die-casting alloys
Other uses: F gases banned in new products
You must not use F gases in:
- tyres
- windows
- footwear
Refillable containers
You must sell F gas in refillable containers if it will be used:
- to service, maintain or fill refrigeration, air-conditioning or heat-pump equipment (RACHP), fire protection systems or switchgear
- as a solvent
Your containers are only classed as refillable if your customers can return containers to you for refilling. You must take back containers from customers to refill them.
Exemptions from the bans
The bans do not apply to equipment that:
- produces lower greenhouse gas emissions over its total lifecycle, including energy consumption
- is more efficient than alternative equipment that does not contain HFCs
- is used in military hardware, such as tanks and aircraft
The bans still apply to other equipment used by the military, such as refrigeration.
Requesting an exemption
You may request an exemption if:
- alternatives are not available for a specific product or piece of equipment, or a specific category of product or equipment
- alternatives would cause disproportionate costs
- the ban creates technical or safety issues
You can request an exemption by providing evidence and reports that show how your request meets the exemption criteria by emailing [email protected].
Exemption requests can only be granted by passing legislation and assessing supporting evidence, which can take at least 12 months to complete. If granted, exemptions last for up to 4 years.
To check how much a gas contributes to global warming, you can calculate the carbon dioxide equivalent quantity of an F gas.
Updates to this page
Published 21 August 2019Last updated 2 March 2023 + show all updates
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Updated guidance to include information about F gases which produce trifluoromethane as a by-product.
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Updated date of ban 'from 2023' to 'banned now' in the 'Insulating foam: F gases banned in new products' table.
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Removed outdated references to 2022 in the ‘Refrigerants: F gases banned in new products’ table. Updated guidance under ‘Exceptions from the ban’ in the ‘Insulating foam: F gases banned in new products’ and ‘Aerosols: F gases banned in new products’ tables. Added more detailed guidance on requesting an exemption under ‘Exemptions from the ban’.
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Amended a banned use under 'Refrigerants: F gases banned in new products' to include commercial use.
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Information on centralised refrigeration systems updated in table.
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First published.