An impressive 8,200 residents are set to benefit from more efficient, cost-effective, and reliable heating thanks in part to support provided in Round 9 of the Heat Network Efficiency Scheme (HNES). In total, this brings the total number of residents benefitting from HNES support to over 70,000 across England and Wales.
Across the UK, around half a million residents are connected to one of up to 12,000 heat networks installed across the nation. HNES is once again targeting older, less reliable heat network infrastructure to help create warmer, more cost-effective, and future proofed heat networks for thousands of residents.
In Round 9, over £8 million of support has been awarded to help improve the efficiency of underperforming heat networks throughout England and Wales. Support can go towards a number of efficiency improvements that address customer detriment and improve operational performance. These can include, but are not limited to, improvements to pipework insulation, installation of metering equipment, and thermal storage improvements.
Louise Singleton, HNES Programme Manager, said:
“We’re delighted to mark yet another milestone with the publication of our round 9 funding recipients.
Once again, thousands more residents will benefit from a more reliable central heating system thanks to HNES support, while homes and buildings across England and Wales become more energy efficient and carbon friendly.”
As we wave goodbye to the summer months, reliable heating and healthy homes are crucial. From Babergh in Suffolk to the Isle of Anglesey off the coast of Wales, HNES is helping to tackle fuel poverty by improving inefficient networks.
Support announced today will not only enable public, private and third sector organisations to lower energy bills for their tenants but will also have a positive impact on the environment. In Round 9, capital funded projects will save a total of over 57,000 tonnes of carbon emissions per year, once efficiency improvements are complete. This is the equivalent to grounding almost 500 one-way flights between London and New York every year.
Capital Grant Funding
Capital grant funding will go directly towards the capital works to improve the efficiency of existing heat networks. In Round 9, 17 projects will receive a share of over £7.3 million worth of capital support, benefitting almost 4,000 residents who will receive more reliable and efficient heating. A number of projects also received revenue grant support in Round 9, detailed in the following section.
Housing Associations and Social Housing Providers
ClwydAlyn Housing Association
In Flintshire, ClwydAlyn Housing will benefit from over £100,000 worth of HNES support for efficiency improvements to the Llys Eleanor heat network, serving 50 residents. The network previously received support in Round 6 for an optimisation study, and capital funding will help the organisation to implement recommended improvements. These include the installation of heat meters, network cleaning, and the installation of Heat Interface Units (HIUs) in individual homes.
Connect Housing Association Limited
Connect Housing Association will receive support for heat network improvements at two blocks in Leeds. The Hawthorn Mill and Nowell Court networks will benefit from a total of £84,000 from HNES for improvements that will benefit 56 residents. The support will go towards improving network insulation and customer control interfaces, while tackling heat losses and service outages with BMS improvements, new Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs) and improved heat meters in each property..
Orbit
In South Norfolk, Orbit Group will receive almost £600,000 from HNES for efficiency improvements to the Saxon House heat network, serving 37 properties. Having previously received revenue grant funding in Round 6, capital grant funding will go towards several improvements to the network. These include the installation of HIUs with heat meters, the installation of new TRVs, and the replacement of network pumps.
Wandle Housing Association
Serving 102 residents, the Clarson House heat network will benefit from a more efficient network thanks to over £1.2 million worth of HNES funding. The support will go towards pipework replacement, HIU upgrades, system balancing, tertiary system controls, and wider Building Management System (BMS) improvements.
Local Authorities
City of Doncaster Council
Residents living in Balby Bridge will benefit from efficiency improvements to their district heat network thanks to £1.7 million worth of HNES funding. Benefitting 829 residents, the support will go towards resolving the network’s poor energy efficiency, by replacing the outdated HIUs in every property.
Leicester City Council
432 dwellings in Leicester will benefit from improved heating provision at St Marks Estate, as the Leicester District Energy Scheme benefits from £745,000 worth of HNES funding. The support will go towards installing HIUs, replacing TRVs, and other improvements such as radiator balancing and tertiary pipework replacement.
London Borough of Camden
At Seymour House, 69 residents will benefit from a more reliable heating provision as the London Borough of Camden receives £630,000 for efficiency improvements to the network. The funding will go towards pipeline and insulation replacements, the installation of new HIUs within dwellings, and modifications to existing pump controls.
London Borough of Islington
155 residents in an Islington tower block are set to benefit from a more efficient and reliable network as the London borough receives £500,000 from HNES. Improved efficiency levels will be achieved with measures such as removing existing electric water tanks for domestic hot water in each property and installing new HIUs with an integrated water heat meter. New TRVs will also be installed, and insulation improvements will also be made across the building’s distribution network.
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
In Stockport, nineteen residential buildings will benefit from a total of over £150,000 from HNES, improving heating provision for 1,388 residents. Across the five heat networks serving the buildings, a number of improvements will be made. These include replacing the BMS’ with a new system, optimising boiler sequencing, increasing network insulation, and improving water treatment and leak detection capabilities.
Private Sector
FirstPort Property Services
437 residents at the Switch House & Electron Buildings will benefit from more efficient heating as FirstPort Property Services receives over £1 million from HNES. The support will go towards HIU replacements across the network, improving insulation, reconfiguring energy centre pipework, and better utilisation of the thermal store. Replacing the existing end-of-life HIUs will enhance the reliability of heat supply for residents, substantially reducing outages. The new units will also deliver energy and carbon savings by enabling lower flow and return temperatures, thereby reducing heat losses.
Invicta Rentals Limited
14 residents at Holbeach House in Orchard Park will benefit from a more reliable and cost-effective heat network as Invicta Rentals receives £26,000 from the scheme. The project will include the installation of monitoring and control systems, upgrades to the plantroom, and improved pipe insulation.
Michael Laurie Magar Ltd
In Lewisham, Michael Laurie Magar Ltd will receive over £560,000 from HNES for efficiency improvements to the Silkworks network, serving 330 residents. Funding will go towards repurposing the existing solar thermal system, implementing weather compensation technology within the space heating system, and improving insulation across the network pipework.
Revenue Grant Funding
Revenue grant funding will help heat network owners/operators to undertake optimisation studies to review the performance of their heat networks and identify areas for improvement. Applicants may also choose to subsequently apply for capital grant funding to enact the recommendations provided by the study. In Round 9, a total of over £1 million has been granted for 52 studies benefiting heat networks serving over 4,200 residents.
Housing Associations and Social Housing Providers
Curo Places Limited, for the Park House and Ballance Street heat networks, serving 227 properties.
Great Places Housing Group, for the Windmill House heat network, serving 37 residents.
Grwp Cynefin, for the Penucheldre / Llys Mair Extra Care heat network, serving 81 residents.
Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust, for the Hartfield Retirement Village and Plaxton Court heat networks, serving 295 residents.
Lace Housing Limited, for the Brick Kiln Place heat network, serving 48 apartments.
Lincolnshire Housing Partnership Limited, for the Hinton Court heat network, serving 31 residents.
London & Quadrant Housing Trust, for the Tidemill Way, Horseferry Place, and Bolingbroke Park heat networks, serving 241 residents
Mosscare St Vincent Housing Group, for the Statham House and Alice Ingham Court heat networks, serving 60 residents.
Notting Hill Genesis, for the Lloyds Row, 34 Warwick Road, Lee Samuel House, Hope Gardens, and Darton Court heat networks, serving 147 residents.
Orbit, for the Rene England House and Lambert Court heat networks, serving 58 properties.
Progress Housing Group, for the Greenwood Court heat network, serving 41 residents.
Solihull Care Housing Association, for the Phoenix House heat network, serving 49 residents.
The Guinness Partnership, for the Montpellier Court heat network, serving 59 residents.
The Riverside Group Limited, for the Knighthead Point, Spinnaker House and Phoenix Heights heat networks, serving 265 residents.
Your Housing Group, for the Brookside heat network, serving 111 residents.
Local Authorities
Babergh District Council, for the Ash Street and Playford Court heat networks, serving 64 residents.
City of Westminster Council, for the PDHU* – Russell House, Charlwood House, Shelley House, and Glastonbury House heat network blocks, serving 376 residents.
Kirklees Council, for the Eightlands district heating network and Burhouse Court communal heat network, serving 219 residents in total.
London Borough of Islington, for the Cape Energy Centre heat network, serving 40 residents, the Ashmount Primary School and Cape Adventure Playground.
Mid Suffolk District Council, for the St Peter’s Court heat network, serving 21 residents.
Norwich City Council, for the Ryrie Court, Douro House and Millers Lane sheltered housing heat networks, serving 104 residents.
Health and Education
University of Chichester, for the main boiler house heat network.
Private Sector
Facilitas, for the 45 Millharbour heat network, serving 138 residents.
First Port Property Services Limited, for the Ingress Park heat network, serving 107 residents.
Grafton Square RTM Company Limited, for the Wingate Square heat network, serving 173 residents.
Hardwicks (Wandsworth) RTM Company Limited, for the Hardwicks Way heat network, serving 125 residents.
Loka Energy Limited, for buildings within the Upper and Lower Riverside heat networks at Greenwich Peninsula, serving 625 residents.
Michael Laurie Magar, for the Forum House heat network, serving 286 residents.
Wick Hall (Hove) Freehold Limited, for the Wick Hall, Hove heat network, serving 156 residential dwellings.
Charities
Lench’s Trust, for the Lench’s Close heat network, serving 64 elderly residents, housed by the 500-year-old charity.
NOTES TO EDITORS
HNES can provide up to, but not including 50% of the total estimated eligible project costs for capital grant applications, and up to 100% of the estimated eligible project costs for revenue (Optimisation Study) grant applications.
Grant requests over £1 million will be subjected to additional Subsidy Control Act checks.
Applicants will need to submit a completed application form along with supporting evidence – and will be assessed and scored against criteria.
Those interested in applying for the scheme can express their interest by emailing HNES@gemserv.com.
The Heat Network Efficiency Scheme Guidance is available on the gov.uk website here, where information about grants over £1 million can also be found.
General enquiries and expressions of interest can be sent to HNES@gemserv.com.
More information about HNES including upcoming events can be found on Gemserv’s website, the delivery partner for the HNES Scheme, here.
Gemserv has been appointed as the Delivery Partner for HNES supported by Ramboll as technical assessors, Turner & Townsend as cost consultants, and Lux Nova who provide legal support.
