Residents at The Switch House & Elektron Buildings in London are set to benefit from major improvements to their communal heating system after the development was awarded £1,079,734 in government funding.
Property management company, The FirstPort Group, applied for the funding as part of the Government’s Heat Network Efficiency Scheme (HNES). The scheme, led by Gemserv – a Talan company, is in place to improve district and communal heat networks at residential buildings.
Stuart Wilcox, Head of Critical Infrastructure at FirstPort, said:
“We’re absolutely delighted to have secured over £1 million in government funding to improve the heat network for our residents. By enhancing the performance of the heat network, we’re not only improving reliability for our residents but also hoping to pave the way for long-term cost savings. It’s a significant step toward delivering greener and more efficient homes.”
The funding will be used to upgrade the network that supplies heating and hot water to more than 430 residents. This will include heat interface unit replacements across the network, improving insulation, reconfiguring energy centre pipework, better utilisation of the thermal store, and identifying further opportunities to cut energy consumption and costs in the future.
Replacing the existing heat interface unit will provide residents with a more reliable and consistent heat supply, helping to reduce the risk of outages. The new units will also be more energy-efficient, reducing heat loss and contributing to carbon savings.
Victoria Peake, Director of FirstPort London, said:
“This funding marks a pivotal moment for the development. The energy centre has long been a source of frustration for residents, and this support gives us the opportunity to completely transform the communal heating system. We’re excited to be able to deliver these improvements and significantly enhance comfort and reliability for residents.”
The HNES operates two funding streams: one to improve existing heat networks and another to study underperforming systems to diagnose issues.
Switch House & Elektron successfully secured the improvement funding as part of the programme’s ninth round.
Louise Singleton, HNES Programme Manager at Gemserv, said:
“We are delighted to be supporting this vital improvement work across FirstPort’s portfolio of homes. Increased reliability, energy efficiency, and reduced carbon emissions are three pillars of why HNES is so important, and it’s great to see how support from HNES is improving outcomes for residents in London and beyond.”
