5 Things You Can Start Today to Prepare for HNTAS
The Heat Network Technical Assurance Scheme (HNTAS) is due to open up for consultation any day now. While we wait, there are things that you can do today to boost network performance. Many of these are no-regrets solutions, offering significant paybacks with low cost and effort to implement.
1) Make sure you have Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) installed on your gas meter
Cost: Very Low
Effort: Very Low
Impact: Very High
If you are on a gas-based network, understanding your gas consumption and monitoring this over time is a critical first step to understanding the overall performance and cost of operating your network.
At Switch2, we have a service which we recommend to all our clients; it’s cheap (just over £100 per gas meter per year!) and easy to get in place.
Having gas AMR helps to:
- Make sure that gas invoices are accurate, avoiding surprises with estimated bills
- Inform the overall cost of operating your network, which will be really important for both technical standards and consumer protection regulations
- Accurately calculate tariffs, making sure that you are able to recover operating costs
- Inform your future heat network operation strategy
- Accurately benchmark the carbon footprint of your network to develop decarbonisation pathways
Once you have your gas data, Switch2 teams will be able to use this to better inform your network optimisation strategy, deliver tailored performance reporting and calculate accurate tariffs to make sure your network is effectively recovering its costs. You can even set us up as a direct recipient and we will have your gas data stored safely in our systems, ready for when you need it.
To find out more about this service, reach out to your Client Account Manager or contact the Optimise team at
optimise@switch2.co.uk
2) Complete a Heat Network Efficiency Scheme (HNES) Optimisation Study
Cost: Free
Effort: Low
Impact: Very High
With the Heat Network Efficiency Scheme, you can have a fully funded optimisation study completed on your networks. These identify issues across the network and provided fully costed opportunities for optimising performance. Our HNES team are highly trained specialists and have delivered over 70 studies with a 95% success rate in winning capital funding.
Furthermore, if you choose to go ahead with optimisation measures, you can have up to 50% match funding from DESNZ, strengthening payback opportunities even further. Our team are on hand to support you through this process and maximise your chances of winning funding.
Reach out to us to find out more about this service.
3) Make sure you have a specialist maintenance package
Cost: Medium
Effort: Medium
Impact: Very High
Many heat networks are not using specialist contractors to deliver heat network maintenance. While standard heating contractors may be able to make sure residents receive heating and hot water, they may not be doing this in a way which helps to optimise the system. When inheriting networks from non-specialist contractors, we often find that they are unbalanced, with a small number of properties taking disproportionate load on the system and increasing the risk of outages in high demand.
Look for providers who also go above and beyond standard maintenance offerings, adopting data-driven approaches and thinking more holistically about the network.
Our Optimise service incorporates proactive maintenance, identifying areas in the network which are having significant impact on the wider system. We send out engineers outside of typical maintenance schedules to address these issues and resolve problems before they become more significant.
4) Check your network’s water quality
Cost: Medium-High
Effort: Medium
Impact: Very High
Water quality does not get the attention it deserves when it comes to heat network optimisation. Ensuring that the water throughout your network is sufficiently treated helps to keep your assets performing for longer, avoiding potential corrosion which can lead to leaks if not dealt with efficiently. Given its importance, water quality is looking to have strong focus in HNTAS, so it’s useful to get this sorted ahead of time and extend your assets’ lifespans.
Make sure that water treatment is factored into your heat network maintenance package and reach out to us if you need any further assistance with this.
5) Have your say! Keep an eye out for HNTAS consultation
Cost: Free
Effort: Medium
Impact: High
The HNTAS consultation is due any day now, and we encourage anyone who works with heat networks to review and provide feedback. As a key heat network stakeholder, it’s really important that you have your say on future regulations and how these will affect you.
At Switch2, we are eagerly keeping an eye out and will be ready to review any new documentation in-depth to make sure that we are able to support our customers with complying with regulations. We have been busily preparing so that we are well equipped to answer any questions and provide services which help improve network performance and prepare customers for upcoming regulation.
Want to find out more around HTNAS and how to get ready for regulation? Book a call with our expert consultancy team today.
