Households are being warned that January could see one of the biggest increases to domestic electricity and gas charges yet, sparking calls to urgently address squandered resources.
According to calculations from EnergiRaven, 70,000 social and affordable homes currently in the construction pipeline across Britain could enjoy cheaper power with more comprehensive heat networks. If these systems were built, the price of keeping warm throughout the year would drop from £181.1 million for those using electric panels, to £31 million thanks to lower costs made possible by reusing waste-heat from industrial and commercial buildings.
Spread over a 20 year period, the total collective savings for those 70,000 households would be close to £3 billion. Even if all properties were fitted with individual air source heat pumps, affordable alternative to wired panels and traditional boilers, heat networks would still deliver savings of £1.8 billion.
The study has been published at a crucial time for Britain’s energy infrastructure, with the government currently outlining plans for £150 billion of grid investment to future-proof the nation’s power grid. The concern is some of this money may be misspent and potential opportunities to bring bills down could be squandered if all options are not thoroughly considered. Warnings follow previous research that suggested a ‘heat highway’ utilising existing underground tunnels and pipelines could keep 85% of homes in the City of Manchester warm year-round.
‘With energy bills under renewed pressure, we need to think beyond how we generate electricity and consider how we deliver affordable heat to people’s homes,’ said Simon Kerr, Head of Heat Networks at EnergiRaven. ‘The investment being made in the UK’s electricity infrastructure is necessary, but it should be matched by a serious commitment to heat networks and the recovery of waste heat.
‘Many communities facing fuel poverty are located close to potential sources of waste heat, including industrial sites, energy infrastructure and data centres,’ he continued. ‘Connecting these sources to homes through heat networks would avoid locking the inhabitants of these new affordable homes into expensive heating contracts. People in need of affordable housing are also in need of affordable heating.’
Image: David Klein / Unsplash
More on heat networks:
Heat highways and pumps: Manchester energy needs could set UK precedent