Fife Council has created a heat metering and billing framework for use by local authorities and housing associations that this designed to help grow the heat network market and ensure customer protection. The framework gives local authorities and housing associations access to three suppliers capable of providing a range of services: Switch2 Energy, Pinnacle Power and Vital […]

The UK’s industrial sector could save at least £540m on its energy bills by adopting new energy technologies such as solar and battery storage, according to a report published today by Centrica. The Distributed Energy: Powering the future of industry report covers the UK’s major manufacturing and production activities such as steel, mining, chemicals, car […]

The UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy has published guidance outlining some of the issues, risks and opportunities around financing heat networks in the UK, to support the move to a self-sustaining heat network market. The guidance is aimed at heat network sponsors, developers and funders. Access the guidance for free here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/financing-heat-networks-in-the-uk-guidebook

Local Energy Scotland is leading a Scottish pilot to develop and implement local energy plans for four local communities. The plans developed for Brae, Drumnadrochit, Barra & Vatersay and Oban have now been published. The plans provide an evidence base to take forward energy related actions and projects with a community and energy system mandate. […]

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published the final findings of its 7 month study, which set out to establish whether heat network customers are getting the right level of protection. The CMA found many heat networks offer prices that are the same or lower than those paid by people on gas or electricity, […]

The Scottish Government has announced more than £2 million will be awarded to 15 councils to support homeowners and businesses installing energy efficiency measures as part of the new Energy Efficient Scotland programme. The funding will also help local authorities develop Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies, a new tool to allow councils to identify […]

The Committee on Climate Change have published analysis of alternative UK heat decarbonisation pathways. Written by Imperial College London; it evaluates the technical feasibility and overall system costs of alternative heat decarbonisation pathways, including electrification of heat via heat pumps, hybrid heat pumps (combining low-carbon electricity and gas), and conversion of the gas grid to […]

The Scottish Government recently launched the Route Map to an Energy Efficient Scotland, which outlines action to ensure that by 2040, all homes are improved so they achieve an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of at least Band C. Supported by £54.5 million funding, the Route Map confirms that landlords of privately rented homes will […]

As part of its wider research into heat decarbonisation, the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy commissioned a study by Element Energy to advance the understanding of the potential role of hybrid heat pump (HHP) systems in the UK’s long-term decarbonisation of domestic heat. The study draws on a wide range of sources (including a review of […]

The National Infrastructure Commission have published a study by Element Energy and E4tech examining the costs associated with different pathways to decarbonising heat in the UK. These pathways included electrification (heat pumps, electric storage heating), decarbonisation of gas (hydrogen networks, biomethane) and hybrid gas-electric approaches, supported by the deployment of energy efficiency, heat networks and […]