Energy UK is welcoming six new heat network companies to its membership and expanding its team with two new roles as it increases its focus on the move to heat more of our homes and buildings with clean, sustainable sources.
Heat from buildings is the UK’s second highest source of emissions, accounting for around one fifth of the total, so converting to alternative, cleaner forms of heating is crucial to meeting the UK’s climate change targets. With the Government’s Warm Homes Plan and Future Home Standard expected over the coming months, it is also an important time which will shape the role heat networks can play in heating and cooling buildings more efficiently.
A heat network is a broad term that applies to any system that distributes heat, and sometimes cooling, from centralised sources to more than one connected customer. A residential scheme may just serve the residents in a single building, whereas a district heating scheme could service a variety of different customers such as homes, public buildings, shops, offices, hospitals and universities.
Whether supplying a few neighbourhood buildings or entire cities, heat networks can remove the need for individual boilers or heaters in each home, which can be particularly useful in densely populated areas such as blocks of flats. They can also make use of existing heat sources that would otherwise be wasted such as industry, energy-from-waste plants or naturally occurring sources like geothermal. For more information on heat networks, see Energy UK’s new explainer.
The companies joining Energy UK include 1Energy, Bring Energy, Gren, Hemiko, Switch2 and Vital Energi. These companies will join Energy UK’s existing membership of 140 companies, around a quarter of which provide products and services in the clean heat space and includes other existing members of the Heat Networks Industry Council such as SSE, E.ON and Vattenfall Heat UK.
To support the new additions to its membership and this increased focus, Louise Shooter has been promoted to a new role as Head of Heat Decarbonisation at Energy UK. Anna Simms, previously at SLB, will be joining Energy UK as a Heat Networks Policy Executive, and Stephanie Holmes, previously working in Westminster, will be joining as a Clean Heat Policy Executive, to further increase resources in this area.
Under the Energy Act 2023, heat networks zoning aims to accelerate their growth from the current 3% share to 20% eventually, which will see them fulfil the prominent role they have in some other European countries. The sector has ambitions to invest £100 billion in the UK by 2050, supplying 95TWh of heat and saving 15 Mtonnes of carbon dioxide. This will lead to the creation of hundreds of thousands of direct and indirect jobs across the UK, primarily in construction and heat network operation.
Dhara Vyas, Energy UK’s chief executive said:
“Heat is a vital part of the clean energy jigsaw and moving to cleaner alternatives will benefit households and businesses through more efficient energy use, and less volatile energy prices by not being reliant on gas. Heat networks have enormous potential to play a big role in this drive, particularly in urban and industrial areas, and help meet the overall goals of clean, sustainable sources, reduced air pollution and more stable bills – while also boosting the economy with investment, jobs and regeneration.
“So it’s a great time to welcome these new members. We look forward to promoting their work and the contribution they can make to the energy transition as well as supporting them with our policy expertise and close relationships with government, regulators and other stakeholders.”
Andrew Wettern, Chief Executive Officer at 1Energy, said:
“Heat networks are critical to the delivery of lower customer bills for low carbon heat, and key to producing economic growth through the £100 billion investment in delivering new energy infrastructure. As a developer and investor in city-scale low carbon heat networks, we are extremely pleased to work with Energy UK to step-up the importance of heat networks in policy discussions with Government.”
Richard Burrell, Executive Chairman at Bring Energy, said:
“Joining Energy UK marks an important step for Bring Energy as we continue to scale and invest in critical national infrastructure. As the UK’s largest heat network operator, with flagship projects including the Olympic Park, Battersea Power Station, Newcastle and Southampton, we see the transformative potential of heat networks to drive economic growth, attract long-term capital, and create high-value jobs across the country. With the sector representing a £100 billion opportunity, it’s essential that policy keeps pace. We look forward to working with Energy UK and government to help unlock investment, streamline regulation, and deliver the resilient, future-ready energy systems the UK needs.”
Mike Reynolds, Chief Executive Officer at Gren, said:
“Gren is delighted to be joining Energy UK at a crucial time for the heat networks industry in the UK. The sector is ready to invest billions of pounds in new networks but faces many of the same barriers to success as when I joined the industry more than a decade ago. Energy UK’s expertise and trusted voice at the top of government will be instrumental in helping government and industry step up together – based on mutual goals of energy security and lowering the cost of heat for consumers – so that we can unlock available private investment and achieve our shared mission of bringing affordable, reliable and low carbon heat and power to millions of UK businesses and homes.”
Toby Heysham, Chief Executive at Hemiko, said:
“Heat is the final frontier in the UK’s journey to decarbonisation – and one we urgently need to tackle. Across the country, there’s an abundant, untapped resource of waste heat ready to be harnessed. By building the infrastructure to capture and deliver this heat to homes and businesses, we can unlock major societal benefits: shielding customers from volatile gas prices and building a resilient, low carbon heating system that can collect heat from anywhere.
“Heat networks represent the next big utility. This is a sector with the potential to unlock billions in infrastructure investment over the coming decades – driving local economic growth, creating a new generation of skilled jobs, and reshaping how we heat our towns and cities. That’s the scale of transformation we’re working toward, and we’re excited to collaborate with Energy UK to help make it a reality.”
Ian Allan, Head of Market Strategy at Switch2, said:
“To be joining Energy UK at such a pivotal time for the heat network sector is a significant step for Switch2. With heat decarbonisation climbing the political agenda, it’s crucially important that we work together to scale up low-carbon, efficient heat networks across the UK.
“Through our work with Energy UK and fellow members, we can help to unlock the full potential of heat networks and accelerate the transition to cleaner, more affordable heating for the communities we serve.”
Gary Fielding, Chairman at Vital Energi, said:
“We have seen that heat networks can sit at the heart of communities and improve air quality, reduce emissions and deliver more reliable, affordable heat. We believe that by uniting with other UK energy leaders we can raise the profile of heat networks, which are essential to the UK’s green energy transition.
“In the UK we are at a critical point in the widescale deployment of heat networks with the introduction of regulation and zoning on the horizon. We look forward to working with Energy UK to ensure new policy and legislation creates protection for customers, improves quality standards and supports the growth of heat networks. Together we can shape a more resilient, equitable and greener future for all.”
Notes to editors
- Energy UK is the trade association for the energy industry, representing companies investing billions of pounds to secure our country’s current and future energy needs. From growing start-ups to major electricity generators, grid and infrastructure developers and energy suppliers, our members are driving change across power, heat, transport and flexibility. We provide a collective voice for the sector working with governments, regulators, charities and other organisations to provide crucial insight that shapes policy, offers solutions and promotes best practice. Our broad view across the whole system supports evidence-based positions which are not tied to particular technologies, and are focused on delivering strategic benefits for people, businesses and the economy. We champion initiatives such as our Vulnerability Commitment, which pushes suppliers to go beyond regulation to support customers with additional needs, and TIDE, the industry’s drive for greater inclusion and diversity. Through our Young Energy Professionals Forum, we support the development of future leaders. We are equally committed to our team and are proud to be recognised as a ‘Gold’ Investors in People employer.
- 1Energy is the UK’s leading low-carbon city heat network developer. The company’s mission is to decarbonise heat across the UK, accelerating the transition to net zero. 1Energy’s private sector funded heat networks offer the simplest, fastest, and lowest cost route to decarbonising heat at scale, providing a foundation for net zero cities. The company is developing heat networks to provide green heat to public and private sector organisations in cities and towns across the country including Bradford, Exeter, Milton Keynes, Derby and Oxford.
- Bring Energy is leading the transformation of the UK energy landscape with innovative, city-scale solutions. We design, deliver and operate long-term energy generation and distribution networks that support cities, organisations, communities and homes. Our pioneering and resilient infrastructure boosts energy efficiency, strengthens system reliability, and helps communities thrive—building a more sustainable future for urban living.
- Gren is an established energy infrastructure investor and operator, investing in waste to energy and biomass, with over 700km of energy networks operational across Europe. Gren is committed to investing over £1bn in the UK, including £300m into developing the UK’s largest heat network in Glasgow, and managing a varied set of combined heat and power assets across the UK. Our core focus is on developing long-term infrastructure solutions that can serve anchor institutions, unlock private investment, reduce energy bills, and help the UK and Scottish governments deliver on their decarbonisation commitments.
- Hemiko is the leading UK heat networks utility provider. We invest in low carbon heat networks, build them, and run them. Hemiko has £1bn to invest into town and city-scale heat networks across the UK by 2030. Hemiko is currently developing scaled heat networks in Westminster, Worthing, Wolverhampton, and Old Oak and Park Royal, amongst others.
- Switch2 Energy is the UK’s most experienced and capable provider of end-to-end solutions for residential heat networks. With decades of expertise, we work in partnership with local authorities, housing associations, and private developers to make community heating schemes a real asset to their organisations. In our careful hands, we optimise energy efficiency, manage renewable energy, and ensure heat networks perform to the highest standards. Our focus is on delivering well-performing, cost-effective schemes that benefit both organisations and their residents, all while minimising costs and supporting sustainability goals. With approximately 200 employees, Switch2 provides services such as metering, billing, maintenance, and energy management to enhance energy efficiency and promote sustainability.
- Vital Energi provide a comprehensive range of energy related services, systems, and solutions. With over 30 years’ experience, they have in-house capability to design, install, operate and own decentralised energy generation and multi-utility network distribution schemes, including some of the UK’s largest and longest established district heating networks in cities like Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Aberdeen and Glasgow. As well as owning our own assets, we provide tailored energy management schemes to manage, measure, and reduce energy consumption, they design and install the latest renewable and low carbon technologies, from heat pumps and solar PV farms, to battery storage and waste heat recovery, and their Drakelow energy from waste (EfW) plant, being delivered by VEUL on behalf of Vital Energi Generation Ltd, is now in the operational phase. Their solutions provide long term cost benefits for clients across a broad range of sectors, including healthcare, education, industry, commercial, new build, and existing residential. If you would like to know more about Vital Energi and the work we do, please visit: www.vitalenergi.co.uk.
Please contact press@energy-uk.org.uk to arrange a site visit with any of the above member companies.