Families across the UK are expected to save on energy bills as more than 750,000 homes will receive cheaper, cleaner heating through a £90 million government investment. This funding will support the construction of new heat networks, repair faulty pipes, and reduce waste in existing systems.
Heat networks provide heating to multiple buildings from a central source, utilising excess heat from places like data centres or factories. This method aims to deliver low-cost and efficient heat to communities.
In London, a significant project is planned to supply 650,000 homes with clean heat, potentially benefiting over a million residents. This initiative, supported by £41 million, involves transporting hot water daily by electric barges down the River Thames and through a specially constructed tunnel. The project, subject to planning consent, could unlock approximately £5 billion of investment in London's local heat networks and create skilled jobs.
Other areas receiving investment include Bradford, where £9.7 million will extend a heat network to benefit 255 homes, a hospital, and seven schools and colleges. Solihull will receive £3.9 million to expand its existing network, while Bexley and Greenwich in London are allocated £11.5 million for what could become the UK's largest heat network, serving up to 100,000 homes when fully developed. Marble Arch in London will also see £11.4 million invested in a system using water-source heat pumps.
Beyond new infrastructure, £13.3 million has been committed to upgrade 76 inefficient heat networks across England and Wales. These improvements include replacing leaky pipes, insulating pipework, and installing new interface units in homes to give residents better control over their heating and potentially lower bills.