Heat Network Efficiency Scheme (HNES)

The Government’s Heat Network Efficiency Scheme (HNES) is a £77 million grant support programme that opened to applicants in February 2023. It provides funding to public, private and third sector applicants in England and Wales, to support improvements to existing district heating or communal heating projects for customers and operators. This follows on from the HNES Demonstrator which ran from October 2021 to March 2022. Gemserv has been appointed Delivery Partner supported by Ramboll, Lux Nova, and Turner and Townsend to deliver the scheme on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. The aim of the HNES is to improve heat network performance in existing/operational projects where customers and/or operators are experiencing sub-optimal outcomes. In particular, the HNES will focus on addressing customer detriment as a way of supporting heat network consumers impacted by the cost-of-living crisis and the cost-of-energy crisis, with focus on where customer need is greatest.