FAQs
Is there specific support for heat networks?
There was talk of a specific 'uplift' for district or community heating, but this has not been taken up.
Chapter 4 of the government's RHI announcement says
Renewable district or community heating
District heating will be eligible for the RHI, where the heat is produced by an RHI-eligible installation. District heating will be treated in the same way as an installation for that technology and fuel type providing heat for on-site use. For example, a district heating system served by a 600kWth biomass boiler will be treated the same way as a 600kWth boiler heating a single building in terms of RHI eligibility and support levels.
There will be no specific ‘uplift’ for district heating installations. Whilst we recognise that the cost of district heating (or other off-site use of heat) will often be higher than the cost of using the heat from a similarly sized installation on-site (due to the costs of pipe-work to transport the heat, and other cost factors), further consideration is needed before any additional cost is provided, to ensure this is necessary and represents good value for money. See the Support Levels chapter for more information about support for district heating.
