The UK’s consumer alternative dispute resolution regime moves on 6 April 2026 from the 2015 ADR Regulations to a new framework in Part 4, Chapter 4 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. The implementing Statutory Instrument was laid on 26 January and confirms the in‑force date, with approval by both Houses now complete. This is not just tidy‑up: it resets who can act as an ADR provider and what traders must tell customers at complaint stage. (statutoryinstruments.parliament.uk)

The Regulations strip out outdated references to the 2015 ADR rules across statute and, in places, replace them with DMCC citations. That includes consequential changes touching the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018, the omission of section 218 of the Energy Act 2023, and a clarifying, point‑in‑time reference in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Claims Management Activity) Order 2018 so that legacy ADR provisions continue to track the 2015 rules as they stood on 1 April 2019. The DMCC itself revokes the 2015 ADR Regulations. (legislation.gov.uk)

Under DMCC Chapter 4, a person must not carry out consumer ADR unless exempt, accredited, or acting under special arrangements with an accredited or exempt provider. Accredited providers face a strict approach to consumer charging: fees to consumers are banned unless a published fee policy is approved by the Secretary of State. Accreditation, variation and suspension powers sit with the Secretary of State, who may also delegate accreditation functions by later regulations. (legislation.gov.uk)

For traders, there is a new statutory duty when closing out a complaint: the final response must tell the consumer about any ADR or other scheme the trader is obliged to use, whether by law, contract, or industry agreement. Failure can attract enforcement notices under the same Chapter. Firms should therefore make sure complaint templates, call‑centre scripts and website wording are updated for use from 6 April. (legislation.gov.uk)

Energy suppliers and heat‑network operators should assume continuity of sector schemes but check status under the new rules. The Energy Ombudsman is approved in the sector today, and Ofgem has recently reinforced signposting to redress for business customers; from April, firms should ensure their mandated redress route is operated by an accredited or exempt ADR provider under DMCC. Supplier ‘final response’ letters should be refreshed to meet both Ofgem’s requirements and the DMCC Section 308 duty. (energyombudsman.org)

Travel organisers and retailers must refresh package travel contract wording where it currently cites the 2015 ADR Regulations. Schedule 5 notices in package contracts should now refer to DMCC Chapter 4, and complaint pathways should point travellers to an accredited ADR body used by the organiser or trade association. Teams handling post‑holiday complaints should be trained to give the correct signposting in the final response. (legislation.gov.uk)

Claims‑management and wider financial services businesses should note the Order governing the transfer of CMC complaints to the Financial Ombudsman Service already hard‑codes the 2015 ADR refusal grounds; the new SI confirms that reference is pegged to how those rules stood on 1 April 2019. Day‑to‑day, that means firms’ internal DISP‑aligned complaint flows remain compatible, while any external ADR used must meet DMCC accreditation or exemption. (legislation.gov.uk)

A practical 3‑week plan for consumer‑facing firms starts with a document sweep. Replace legacy “SI 2015/542” references in customer terms, final‑response templates and websites with language that correctly identifies the scheme you must use and, where relevant, that it is accredited under DMCC. Confirm your chosen ADR provider intends to be accredited (or exempt) by 6 April and obtain written assurance.

Next, brief complaint handlers. From 6 April, when you send an outcome that rejects or only partially upholds a complaint, you must signpost to the ADR or other escalation route you are obliged to use. Test this in real examples: an energy microbusiness billing dispute, a package holiday delay complaint, or a CMC fee dispute. Run spot‑checks that the signposting is included and accurate against sector rules. (legislation.gov.uk)

Finally, update governance and budgets. Accredited ADR providers will pay DMCC‑set fees and may have approved consumer‑fee policies; factor these into contracts. Keep an eye on two further developments signalled in the Act-possible ‘ADR information’ regulations and directions to traders and regulators, and potential conferral of accreditation functions to another body-both of which could trigger additional data and reporting asks within 2026. (legislation.gov.uk)