Due to significant demand, Customer Alterations are pausing new applications until Wednesday 16 September, if this relates to Home Ownership or Shared Ownership, these will proceed as normal.

Our heat network

A heat network is a shared heating system that serves multiple homes within a building. Heat is produced at a central energy source and circulated through a network of pipes to provide both heating and hot water to each property. As a result, individual boilers are not required in homes.

A small model house with a dark roof sits on top of a chunky orange knitted scarf draped across a white radiator with an orange background.

The supplier and operator

We are the supplier and operator of the heat network. This means we are responsible for supplying your heating and hot water, managing your billing and overseeing the operation, maintenance and repair of the network.

We may appoint subcontractors to carry out certain services, including billing, maintenance and repairs, on our behalf.

You can’t choose another supplier. We purchase the gas and electric used to produce your heating and hot water from the open market and aim to secure good value for customers.

A wooden model home with a multicoloured beanie hat resting on top on a laminate floor with white net curtains in the background.

Metered and non-metered heat networks

Metered heat network

If you have a meter in your home, your heating and hot water use is measured directly. You are billed for what you us. We are currently transitioning to Welcome Energy to manage your metering and billing on our behalf.

Non-metered heat network

We are transitioning to Welcome Energy for billing your heating and hot water. As part of this change, the relevant portion of your current service charge will be removed, and you will instead receive separate bills directly from Welcome Energy based on your individual energy consumption.

Regulation

Our heat network is regulated by Ofgem, the UK’s energy regulator. This means the service you receive is protected by clear rules designed to make heat networks fair, transparent and reliable for customers.

Being regulated by Ofgem means that we must:

  • charge fair and reasonable prices for heating and hot water
  • provide clear information about bills, tariffs and how charges are calculated
  • meet minimum standards for service and reliability
  • have a clear process in place for handling complaints

Customers on regulated heat networks also benefit from stronger consumer protections, similar to those in place for gas and electricity customers. This includes access to an independent complaints service if an issue cannot be resolved directly with us.

Overall, Ofgem regulation is here to give you confidence that your heat supply is well-managed, fairly priced and supported by clear protections if things go wrong.

A person wrapped in a large check-pattern blanket sits indoors wearing a yellow jumper, jeans and knitted socks, holding a small wooden house-shaped ornament in both hands. A radiator is visible in the background.

Your heat supply agreement

Your Heat Supply Agreement explains how we provide heating and hot water to your home through the heat network.

It sets out:

  • how your heat and hot water are supplied
  • how charges are calculated
  • our responsibilities as your heat supplier
  • your rights as a customer

We’re currently working on this document and hope to send it out to customers later this year. All customers on a heat network will need to sign the agreement.

Our service to you

We look after the heat network to make sure it remains safe, reliable and works as it should. Bromford Flagship LiveWest (BFL) will carry out planned maintenance four times a year to keep everything running smoothly.

If something isn’t working, we’ll do our best to fix it as quickly as possible:

  • urgent issues within 7 days
  • non-urgent issues within 28 days
  • larger, planned works within 12 months

If there is a complete loss of heating or hot water to your building, our contractor aims to attend within 4 hours.

If the issue cannot be resolved within 24 hours, we will arrange temporary heating or hot water where possible to minimise disruption.

A maintenance operative kneels on the floor of a kitchen while carrying out plumbing work beneath a sink unit. Open cupboard doors reveal pipework under the sink, and a large toolbox containing equipment and spare parts sits in the foreground. The kitchen is bright and well lit, with a window above the sink, a boiler mounted on the wall and various tools placed nearby.

Priority services register

Our Priority Services Register helps us provide extra support to customers who may need it. This can include faster responses if heating fails, additional help with bills or information in accessible formats, such as large print or translated into a foreign language.

You may be eligible to join if you or someone in your household:

  • has reached pension age
  • has a disability or long-term health condition (physical or mental)
  • has a hearing or sight impairment
  • is pregnant or has young children (under 5)
  • relies on medical equipment or has additional health needs
  • has difficulty communicating (e.g. requiring alternative formats including foreign language)
  • is recovering from an injury or hospital stay
  • would struggle to respond in an emergency (e.g. mobility issues)
  • is experiencing temporary vulnerability (e.g. bereavement, financial difficulty)

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