Heat networks and district heating

Heat networks and district heating describe shared systems where heat is generated or recovered at a central or local source and carried through insulated pipework to more than one home, building or site. Some heat networks also supply cooling or domestic hot water. UK regulations use communal heating for a central source serving more than one customer in one building and district heat network for a central source serving multiple buildings or sites. A home connected to a heat network may have an HIU (heat interface unit), metering, billing and control arrangements that differ from an individual boiler or heat pump.