What is a heat network?

If you're reading this, it is likely your home is connected to a heat network. A heat network, sometimes referred to as communal or district heating, is a system where heat is generated centrally and distributed to multiple properties through a network of insulated pipes. This centralised approach provides heating & hot water to homes and businesses without the need for individual boilers in each property.

Communal heat networks usually serve a single building or small group of buildings, while district heating covers a larger area serving multiple buildings or even entire neighbourhoods.

A red line, representing hot water, rises from the energy centre in the basement of the building. The line goes to the HIU in each property in the building. A blue line, representing the return flow, leaves each property and goes back to the energy centre.

How a heat network works?

Fuel, like gas or biomass, arrives at the energy centre in the building. Think of this as the starting point where we get the energy needed.
Inside the energy centre, specialist equipment such as boilers or combined heat and power (CHP) systems get to work. They use the fuel to heat up the water that will circulate through the building.
This hot 'network water' is then pumped throughout the building via a network of insulated pipes. These pipes act like highways, carrying the heat to where it's needed.
Inside each home there is a heat interface unit (HIU). Within this unit is something called a plate heat exchanger, which is a clever piece of heat-sharing equipment. Network water flows over one side of this plate heat exchanger and passes heat through it to your home's own heating supply. As heat circulates around the heat network constantly, when you want hot water for a shower or to warm up your home, the HIU is quick to take heat from the network and transfer it to your own heating system.
After the heat has been used in your home, the cooler water is transferred back into the network, and returned to the energy centre. There, it gets warmed up again by the equipment, ready to start the journey anew.

To put it simply, heat networks are one big loop – with heat travelling from the energy centre to your home and getting circulated back in to get heated up again. It's all about keeping things cosy and efficient.

Why are heat networks becoming more popular in the UK?

Heat networks are growing in popularity across the nation due to their efficiency and environmental benefits, with the Climate Change Committee having identified them as vital in the UK achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. By generating heat centrally, these networks can use energy more efficiently and there's no need for individual boilers. Heat networks can also be powered by low carbon technologies such as biomass and heat pumps. All of this helps to reduce carbon emissions and energy costs.

Benefits of heat networks for residents

Immediate supply: Through the continuous flow throughout the network, you have access to instantaneous heating & hot water on demand.
Cost savings: Bulk purchasing of incoming fuel by your heat supplier can lower heating costs.
Convenience: There is no need to manage a boiler or gas supply yourself.
Reliability: Professional management of your heat network ensures regular maintenance and quick repairs, providing steady heat supply to your home.
Energy efficient: Generating heat centrally, and an increase in low carbon technologies, mean heat networks can help to reduce carbon emissions.

Key organisations in the management of a heat network

Understanding who is responsible for various aspects of the heat network is crucial for effective management and problem resolution.

In most cases, you will only need to contact your metering & billing or heat supplier (the development landlord, managing agent or ESCo Manager). You can find their contact information by searching for your postcode on the 'Your Home' page.

For other maintenance or repair issues in your building, please contact your managing agent or (development) landlord. For any queries in regards to other utilities, such as water or electricity, please contact your respective utility providers.

Development landlord

They may also be referred to as the heat supplier.
Owns the property’s ground lease.
Where no managing agent or ESCo Manager is in place, they are the heat supplier responsible for:
- Reliable heating & hot water supply;
- Managing incoming fuel contract;
- Setting fair & accurate heat tariffs recovering the operational costs of the heat network;
- Issuing bills and payment collection from residents;
- Servicing and repairs of heat network assets, and;
- Recovering heat network asset maintenance costs via daily standing charges or service charges.

Contact for: general heat supply issues, heat tariff requests, and network asset maintenance (if no managing agent or ESCo Manager is in place).

Managing agent

Sets building's service charges.
Manages building assets (e.g. lifts) servicing and repairs.
Where no ESCo Manager is in place, they are the heat supplier responsible for:
- Reliable heating & hot water supply;
- Managing incoming fuel contract;
- Setting fair & accurate heat tariffs recovering the operational costs of the heat network;
- Issuing bills and payment collection from residents;
- Servicing and repairs of heat network assets, and;
- Recovering heat network asset maintenance costs via daily standing charges or service charges.

Contact for: general heat supply issues, heat tariff requests, and network asset maintenance (if no ESCo Manager is in place).

ESCo Manager

This may be Insite Energy for your development.

Where appointed, they are the heat supplier responsible for:
- Reliable heating & hot water supply;
- Managing incoming fuel contract;
- Setting fair & accurate heat tariffs recovering the operational costs of the heat network;
- Issuing bills and payment collection from residents;
- Servicing and repairs of heat network assets, and;
- Recovering heat network asset maintenance costs via daily standing charges or service charges.

Contact for: general heat supply issues, heat tariff requests, and network asset maintenance.

Metering & billing provider

This may be Insite Energy for your development.

Where appointed by the heat supplier, they are responsible for:
- Collecting your meter reads and charging you based on actual consumption either through monthly credit bills or a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) system;
- Offering you a range of payment methods and processing your payments and top-ups;
- Providing customer support about bills and payment issues;
- Processing move ins to set you up on our billing system, and move outs to issue accurate final bills;
- Supplying welcome e-brochures and emails to all new residents;
- Issuing annual statements, and;
- Providing the heat supplier advice on setting fair & accurate heat tariffs recovering only the operational costs of the heat network.

Contact for: Payment issues, billing issues, consumption report requests, and customer portal account issues.

Are we your metering & billing provider or ESCO Manager?

If Insite Energy is your appointed metering & billing provider or ESCo Manager, we are dedicated to ensuring the efficient operation and management of your heat network. Depending on the service selected by your freeholder or managing agent, our responsibilities include transparent billing, accurate meter, repairs of heat network assets, and providing comprehensive customer support.

Learn more about our services

Find out more about heat networks

What is a heat network, and where does my heating and hot water come from?

What is the difference between communal heat networks and district heat networks?

Do I still have a boiler in my apartment?

Are heat networks common in the UK?

Who manages the heat network?

Can I switch supplier?

How are heat networks more environmentally friendly?

How is my energy generated?

Can heat networks save me money on my heating bills?

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