District heating

Heat Metering Policy Consultation 2022

In 2022 we ran a 6-week long consultation from 25^th August to 9^th October for all Southwark residents connected to a district heating system. This was a great opportunity for residents to have their opinions heard in shaping our upcoming heat metering policy, which will affect households where a heat meter has been installed.

In 2020 we told residents about new government regulations around heat metering and billing. The council has a legal obligation to introduce heat meters on estates where it is financially viable to do so (where the amount residents save in the long run is greater than the initial cost of installing heat meters).

When it comes to billing the council wants to keep the system as simple as possible and virtually identical to the way residents currently pay their bills.

We see heat meters and independent heating controls becoming even more popular in the coming years which is why your opinion is so important to us.

Read the results of this consultation.  ^{(PDF, 546kb)}

Here are some long term benefits of heat measuring devices and controls:

• Reduced energy usage. It is estimated that over the long term the average user can expect to achieve an energy saving of around 20%. 
• Greater convenience with heating controls. A thermostat will be installed as part of the heat metering rollout, allowing residents to control their heating from a single point rather than turning individual radiators on or off. 
• Improved heat network efficiency. We will now have data to see how heat is flowing through our networks, allowing us to make better decisions and improvements
• Improved response time when dealing with heating issues. We will now be able to pick up exactly which properties are not receiving heat and take action.
• Isolation within individual properties will now allow issues to be dealt with swiftly, without having to rely on neighbouring property access. 
• Improved local air quality and reduced carbon emissions, as a result or burning less gas within the local boiler house. 

Page last updated: 05 December 2023