Heat Trust, the consumer champion for people living on communal and district heat networks, has successfully registered two innovative low-carbon networks under its consumer protection scheme:

• Heat the Streets in Cornwall, run by Kensa Utilities, is a networked heat pump site. It uses underground boreholes and pipes to harness stored solar energy from the ground and feed it to a small ground-source heat pump in each home. This heat pump upgrades the heat to warm homes and heat water.

• Swaffham Prior in Cambridgeshire, run by Cambridgeshire County Council, is the first village to develop a rural heat network. It uses a hybrid air and ground source heat pump system powered by a solar farm.

These registrations pave the way for similar networks to join the Heat Trust scheme, which is setting the foundations for future statutory Ofgem regulation of the heat networks sector. They demonstrate that Heat Trust can support all parts of the sector in getting regulation ready.

Stephen Knight, Managing Director of Heat Trust said:

“The registration of these heat networks with Heat Trust is a significant milestone and signals wider adoption of vital consumer protections and service standards, creating a more trusted sector.

“Government research estimates that by 2050, 20% of the UK’s heat demand will be met by heat networks. As heat networks of this type become more widespread, Heat Trust registration ensures that consumers remain front and centre in the industry’s journey to more sustainable heating sources.”

Read our separate press release about Heat the Streets here.

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