Heat metering ‘modern solution for district heating’

Heat meters in district networks help bring benefits for both suppliers and customers. That was the general view of participants at an ENER-G Switch2 seminar in London today where changes to […]

Heat meters in district networks help bring benefits for both suppliers and customers.

That was the general view of participants at an ENER-G Switch2 seminar in London today where changes to the Heat Meter Regulations were explained.

Industry experts believe using meters in district heating networks can help increase efficiency, reduce consumption and tackle fuel poverty.

District heating network is the distribution of thermal energy in the form of steam, hot water or chilled liquids from a central source of production to multiple buildings.

A heat meter is a device which measures thermal energy provided by the source.

One of the policy changes include landlords notifying the National Measurement & Regulation Office about the location of any district heat networks or communal heating schemes, including the capacity and “precise” supply figures.

Customers must also be billed using actual meter readings rather than estimates at least once a year and anyone requesting electronic billing should be invoiced quarterly.

Gearoid Lane, Co-founder and CEO at Agility Eco, a low carbon installer, said: “Heat metering is a better, more modern solution for residents as each person pays for the amount of energy they are using.

“It enables transparency as landlords will let tenants know how much the energy purchased costs.”

Meters must be installed in all non-exempt buildings before 2017. Some buildings such as nursing homes and prisons have exemptions.

Those in charge of communal heating systems must also re-register under the EU’s Energy Efficiency Directive scheme every four years.

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