Families set to save money through new and upgraded heat networks

Families set to save on bills as more than 750,000 homes to get clean, cheaper heating 

£90 million investment to build networks, repairing faults and reducing waste 

Government backs mega heat project under and alongside the River Thames unlocking £5 billion investment and up to 2,000 high-quality jobs 

Families are set to save on their energy bills as more than 750,000 homes will benefit from cheaper, cleaner heating.  

Heat networks are a way of heating multiple buildings from a central source – such as taking excess heat generated from a data centre, or from a factory – via a network of pipes carrying hot water which provide communities with low-cost and efficient heat.   

Residents will benefit from cheaper heating and improved efficiency through brand new low-carbon heating and repairs to faulty pipes, backed by £90 million in government funding, creating more than 2,000 jobs across all projects.  

In London, a mega heat project under and alongside the River Thames will supply 650,000 homes with clean heat, with the potential to benefit over a million residents.   

Backed by £41 million, it will initially transport hot water 25 kilometres each day by electric barges down the River Thames and then via a specially constructed tunnel underneath the river, heating homes and businesses across the city along the route.   

The project, subject to planning consent, will help unlock around £5 billion of investment in London’s local heat networks and support skilled jobs in tunnelling, engineering and river transport.  

This is the first of its kind in the UK, designed to make the capital less reliant on gas, with matching systems having operated for decades in cities like Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Vienna and Berlin. 

While in Bradford, 255 homes, a hospital and seven schools and colleges will benefit from cleaner heating and lower bills thanks to an extension of the original heat network in the city, funded by a £9.7 million award.