As the weather turns and the heating goes on, the bills go up and complaints come in. That’s the reality for hundreds of councils and housing associations who operate heat networks.

Help is at hand. This practical workshop will provide solutions:

• The actions you can take today to improve the performance of your heat network systems, increasing reliability and driving down bills for tenants
• How to tap into funding to carry out improvements to failing and legacy systems
• Top tips on engaging with tenants around heat networks
• What changes to the law which will see heat networks regulated by Ofgem will mean to landlords.

The UK government sees heat networks as a crucial part of decarbonising our energy systems and reaching NetZero.

However, the transition to decentralised heating systems where clusters of homes, tower blocks or entire estates are powered from a central energy source, has not come without its challenges.

It is clear that legacy systems are not as efficient as first hoped, causing issues with performance and reliability.

The energy crisis of 2023, which saw the cost of wholesale gas rocket, has amplified that problem. Older, gas-powered systems could at one time be inefficient, but still provide lower bills for tenants – that is no longer the case.

There is also a lack of understanding from tenants on how heat network systems work differently from traditional mains gas heating, leading to frustration, especially when they realise they can’t simply change supplier if they’re not happy with performance.

All this has led to massive rises in bills, with landlords being forced to absorb a significant portion of the increased costs to protect tenants’ finances. Performance and outage issues, combined with confusion about why bills have gone up so much, are leading to an avalanche of complaints – just as tenant satisfaction measures kick in.

This workshop is essential for:

• Everyone responsible for heat and energy systems
• Asset management teams looking after heat networks
• Customer facing staff and complaints teams dealing with issues with tenants living on heat networks.

10.00 Chair’s welcome and introductions

• • Ian Allan, Head of Market Strategy, Switch2 Energy

10.15 Identifying issues and accessing resources to address legacy improvements

• • Mick Field, Technical Service Manager, Leeds City Council

  • Simon Hemingway, Senior Technical Service Manager, Leeds City Council

10.45 A three-step guide to improving heat network performance for tenants – low-cost initiatives to drive down bills

• • Paul Fleming, Business Development Manager, Switch2 Energy

11.15 Break

11.30 What changes in the law mean to landlords operating heat networks

• • James Grinstead, Senior Associate, Devonshires Solicitors LLP

12.00 Heat Network Efficiency Scheme

• • Louise Singleton, HNES Programme Manager, Gemserv

12.30 Lunch

13.00 Consumer protection standards – are heat network tenants getting a raw deal?

• • Stephen Knight, Managing Director, Heat Trust

13.30 Tenant engagement on heat networks – how do we improve tenant understanding?

• • Bobbie Hough, Managing Director, Hough Bellis Communications

  • Pam McCann, Senior Consultant, Hough Bellis Communications

14.00 Panel discussion

14.30 Chair’s summary and closing remarks

• • Ian Allan, Head of Market Strategy, Switch2 Energy

14.45 Close

Stephen Knight, Managing Director, Heat Trust

Stephen Knight has been the director of Heat Trust, the national consumer protection scheme for heat networks, since May 2021.  Before joining Heat Trust, he led London Trading Standards, the London-wide partnership of Trading Standards services. Previously, Stephen served as an elected councillor in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames for 20 years, including time as deputy leader of the council and as an elected London Assembly member between 2012 and 2016, chairing the Assembly’s environment committee.  He has a degree in Physics from Southampton University.

Paul Fleming, Business Development Manager, Switch2 Energy

Paul Fleming is an experienced Business Development Manager who works closely with Switch2 clients to understand their heat scheme needs. He is the key contact for numerous clients working on diverse projects ranging from hardware and end-to-end service offerings to metering and billing solutions. Paul has extensive experience in the energy sector, having worked as an Energy Manager at Anchor Housing monitoring schemes and advising on scheme efficiencies. He led and managed the Energy Department at Energy Solutions supporting the growth of client accounts and identifying new business opportunities. Paul also managed clients such as Scarborough Borough Council and Yorkshire Housing Association at Wise Energy helping them to improve scheme efficiencies. He brings a wealth of knowledge to the energy sector with his property investment background and housing market expertise.

James Grinstead, Senior Associate, Devonshires Solicitors LLP

James is a Senior Associate within Devonshires’ Construction and Engineering Department, specialising in construction disputes. James also leads the firm’s Sustainability and Decarbonisation Team, which deals with a wide range of topics and sustainability / ESG-related expertise.

Alongside his regular practice in construction disputes, James is particularly passionate about the work the firm does with clients in this sector, including advising in relation to heat network solutions, funding opportunities for retrofitting works (including government grants and carbon offset credits) and procurement and commercial considerations for housing and non-housing clients.

James also works internally to support what Devonshires is doing in terms of meeting its own sustainability goals and the firm’s overall journey in reaching Net Zero.

Bobbie Hough, Managing Director, Hough Bellis Communications

Bobbie is an expert in strategic planning and crisis communications and has worked with some of the UK’s most recognised brands overseeing successful mergers, high profile media campaigns and managing crisis scenarios. He works with companies to help align communications and business strategies.

Pam McCann, Senior Consultant, Hough Bellis Communications

Pam has worked as a Director of Marketing and Communications for many public sector organisations including housing, healthcare, education, local government and economic development.

She has also served as a non-executive director on 6 public sector boards and has a keen grasp of strategy development and creating impactful campaigns which deliver a positive difference.

In her spare time she can be found climbing the hills of the Lake District or perfecting some new and challenging yoga or Pilates poses.

Mick Field, Technical Services Manager, Leeds City Council

Mick worked for both Leeds & Hull City Councils for over 35 years after 10 years in the private sector. Starting in the public sector at Leeds works department then progressing into the Housing team. Mick attended Leeds Beckett and gained a BSC degree in Building Surveying. He spent a year at Hull CC as the M&E Service Manager.

Mick worked in various roles in Housing Leeds, including Domestic & Commercial Gas Manager, Decent Homes Manager and more recently as the Technical Services/Strategy & Investment Manager. Recent projects have included the procurement of the citywide heat from waste project and the installation of ground and air source heat pumps to remote outlying high rise.

Ian Allan, Head of Market Strategy, Switch2 Energy

Simon Hemingway, Senior Technical Service Manager, Leeds City Council

Louise Singleton, HNES Programme Manager, Gemserv

If you are unable to attend an event or public training course, please let us know in writing (email is fine) at least 48 hours before. Please email [email protected]

Otherwise, a cancellation fee of £60 plus VAT will be chargeable.

If you are using a package place to attend and do not inform us within the agreed time frame, then a place will be taken to cover your non-attendance.

Cancellations must be made in writing, and will be acknowledged by HQN Limited