ADE Calls for Boost to Heat Networks in Wake of Boiler Upgrade Scheme Evaluation
The Association for Decentralised Energy
The Association for Decentralised Energy (ADE) is urging a major push for heat networks following the Government’s latest evaluation of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS). While the trade association celebrates a surge in heat pump installations, marking a significant step toward decarbonising UK homes, the ADE warns that a balanced approach is essential. Heat pumps are playing a pivotal role, with the evaluation showing strong customer satisfaction rates, yet in dense urban areas, heat networks offer an equally powerful solution for a clean, secure heating future. The ADE argues that when heat networks offer the best value for replacing gas boilers, equivalent support to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme must fund network connections.
The evaluation underscores the effectiveness of heat pumps in replacing old, inefficient boilers – reporting that 79% of customers are satisfied with their new systems. These installations have predominantly occurred in larger, detached properties, leaving a gap in urban centres where heat networks could deliver greater benefits. The ADE believes that robust support for heat networks, on par with that for heat pumps, is critical to ensuring every community enjoys the advantages of low-carbon heat.
Policy Officer at the ADE, Emily Baer, said: “Heat pumps have ignited our clean energy revolution, but to truly transform the UK's heating landscape, we must equally invest in heat networks. By bolstering support for heat networks, we can drive innovation, create local jobs, and ensure urban areas have access to sustainable heating. This approach will provide the lowest cost pathway to heat decarbonisation”
Heat networks not only offer secure and affordable heating but also stimulate local economies. In fact, heat networks have already been leveraged to attract more than £3 of private investment for every £1 of public money, with the sector channelling £2 billion into UK infrastructure. By 2050 the trade association claims up to £100 billion could be invested in UK heat networks, driving local jobs that cannot be offshored.
The ADE’s call for action comes at a pivotal moment when the Government is laying down the framework for the Future Homes Standard from 2025 - a standard that will further cement the role of low-carbon heating in new builds. The ADE insists that this momentum should be harnessed to extend funding and policy support to heat networks, boosting local economies across the nation.