Heat Networks & Traditional Heating Systems
Whether you are brand new to heat networks or have lived one for a while, you might wonder how it compares to a traditional heating system.
The biggest difference? It’s all about where your heat comes from.
Instead of a boiler in your home, heat networks use a central energy centre to generate heating and hot water. This heat travels through insulated pipes to your home, where a Heat Interface Unit (HIU), which looks a lot like a traditional combi boiler, manages your heating and hot water.
This means big safety benefits for you living in a heat network-connected home. No gas combustion inside your home means no risk of carbon monoxide leaks. And instead of a gas meter, you’ll have a heat meter and receive a heat bill based on what you actually use.
Can I switch suppliers?
Heat networks work a little differently. Your energy supplier owns and maintains the energy centre where your heating and hot water is generated, so they set the tariffs and ensure a reliable supply. While this means you can’t switch suppliers, you benefit from accurate, remote meter readings, no more estimated bills or manual readings. Just clear, predictable costs based on your usage.
Low-carbon energy, no upfront costs
You’ve probably seen the TV ads for individual home heat pumps and solar panels, great for the planet but not always easy on your wallet or to install. As your home is connected to a heat network, which is seen as a key technology to help meet the UK’s net zero targets, your heating and hot water may be generated by industrial-sized heat pumps, large solar farms, biomass boilers or any low-carbon energy technology installed in your development’s energy centre.
This means that you benefit from low-carbon heating, without having to go to the expense or disruption of installing and maintaining smaller and lower-performing equipment in your home, whilst contributing to a greener future for the next generation.
No surprise repair bills
You can forget the worry of boiler breakdowns or big repair bills if you live on a heat network, as your standing charge covers regular maintenance, system upgrades, and emergency repairs. If something ever goes wrong, check your welcome pack, where you will find the contact details of the specialist engineers who can help you.
Trusted technology
Heat networks aren’t new and have been tried and tested for over a century. They’ve kept homes warm and comfortable in places like Scandinavia for decades, and more communities in the UK are choosing this smart, reliable way to heat their homes. Here’s how others describe heat networks:
“A central boiler for the estate, and we all get heating or hot water from it.”
“A community network service that just works.”
Ultimately, with a heat network, you get safe, sustainable, efficient, and reliable heating without the hassle of a traditional heating system. It is a future-proof heating system to be proud of.
