Heat networks: A hot topic for UK real estate

Heat networks supply heat from a central source to consumers, via a network of underground pipes carrying hot water. They can cover a large area or even an entire city, or be fairly local supplying a small cluster of buildings. Heat networks will be a key technology for decarbonising home and building heating over the next decade and play a major role in delivering a net zero real estate sector by 2050.

The heat network sector is undergoing a major transformation. The Energy Act 2023 introduced a new regulatory framework for heat suppliers and operators in England and the UK and will support the transition to a more sustainable sector by accelerating the move away from fossil fuels like gas, towards a sector where water is heated by renewable generation such as heat pumps, biomass, recovered heat, geothermal heat and hydrogen. As part of the new framework, the Government will be introducing heat network zoning in England where new and existing buildings within zones will be required to connect to heat networks.

In Scotland, the Heat Networks (Scotland) Act 2021 provides a legal framework for the establishment of a regulatory system for heat networks in Scotland. The Act places a duty on local authorities to identify areas suitable for heat networks.

This webinar will bring together real estate investors and developers, advisers and heat network operators to share insights and experience on the use of heat networks from a real estate perspective. The webinar will also look ahead to the potential impact of new regulation and legislation on the property sector.

You can read more about heat networks here, and more about the plans of the UK and Scottish Governments to regulate the heat network sector here and here.