The Government is dishing out more than £1.9 million to 26 local authorities to kick-start heat network projects.

Nottingham, Birmingham, Manchester (pictured) and six London boroughs are among the lucky authorities to get grants ranging from £15,000 to £250,000 each.

Heat networks supply heat to a number of buildings or homes from a central source, all carried through a system of insulated pipes.

Energy Secretary Ed Davey said: “In urban areas, people are often used to sharing their walls and their roofs with their neighbours – and it can make good sense for them to share the way their homes are heated.

“This cash boost and support for local authorities will help supply low carbon heat to a whole range of buildings such as multi-story apartments, office buildings and social housing – not only providing more efficient heat to buildings, but potentially bringing heating bills down too.”

More cash from a pot of £7m will be handed out in future funding rounds until March 2015. A second round of local authorities to get cash is due at the end of March 2014.

A full list of the latest winning local authorities is as follows:

* Birmingham City Council
* Brighton and Hove City Council
* Cardiff City Council
* Cherwell
* Cheshire East
* City of Bradford
* Crawley Borough Council
* Doncaster Council
* Halton Borough Council
* Hampshire County Council
* Liverpool City Council
* London Borough of Ealing
* London Borough of Haringey
* London Borough of Islington
* London Borough of Merton
* London Borough of Sutton
* Manchester City Council
* Nottingham City Council
* Oxford City Council
* Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
* Runnymede Borough Council
* Salford City Council
* Swansea City Council
* Wycombe District Council