What is a heat network?
A heat network provides heating and hot water to many homes from a centralised energy centre. Heat is distributed from the energy centre by a network of highly insulated pipes, supplying heating and hot water to customers whenever it's needed.
A heat network generates heat in a central location, known as an energy centre, using energy sources with lower CO2 emissions. This means that by living in a home connected to a heat network you'll be playing your part to reduce your impact on the environment, helping to tackle climate change. Heat is distributed from the energy centre to homes connected to the network by highly insulated pipes, supplying heating and hot water to customers whenever it's needed. This removes the need to install a gas supply and individual boiler to every home. Heat networks are more energy efficient than fitting individual gas boilers and are more reliable, so require less maintenance.
What equipment will you have in your home?
Instead of a gas boiler you'll have a heat interface unit installed in your home, commonly known as a HIU. The HIU looks like a boiler and controls the transfer of heat from the heat network to your home's central heating system. It makes heat and hot water available to you instantly, as and when you need it. To control your heating, you simply need to set the thermostat and heating programmer, as you would with a typical central heating system.
Inside the HIU there's a heat meter which measures how much heat you use. This is measured in kilowatts, shown on your bill as kWh. We can read the heat meter remotely so we can then bill you for the heat you use without you having to submit monthly meter readings to us.
If you have a prepayment meter, you'll also have an in-home display which shows you how much heat you're using, how much this is costing you and how much available credit you have left. You'll find a user guide for your in-home display in your welcome pack, we've also made it available in our library.
So we can make sure the heat network operates efficiently, the HIU, heat meter and in-home display all belong to the network. If you're a homeowner or landlord, this means you don't own the HIU, heat meter or in-home display (if applicable).
Remember:
If you have a problem with your HIU, heat meter or in-home display you'll need to contact us so we can fix it. Under no circumstances should you let anyone other than us touch or interfere with them.
Our responsibility stops at the HIU, heat meter and in-home display. If you experience a problem with your heating or hot water equipment beyond the HIU, heat meter or in-home display (your radiators, heating controls, hot water taps or showers), you'll need to arrange and pay for repairs separately.