The Scottish Parliament has published the Heat Networks (Scotland) Bill. This will introduce regulation, together with a licensing system that will encourage greater use of district and communal heating in Scotland.

The Bill is intended to create a coherent regulatory framework that will unlock transformational change and create a supportive market environment for the expansion of heat networks.

Richard Slee, chief executive of heat network specialist Switch2 Energy, said: “The Scottish government has long championed heat networks as a sustainable, affordable and reliable way of heating towns and cities. We are proud to play a role in supplying and operating some of the 830 district and community heating projects across Scotland.

“Heat Networks are a proven, cost-effective method of reducing the carbon intensity of domestic heating and the Heat Networks Bill will play an important role in encouraging further expansion of the sector as Scotland reduces its reliance on traditional heating systems, such as individual gas fired boilers.”

Announcing publication of the Bill, Paul Wheelhouse, minister for energy, connectivity and the islands, said: “We are facing a global climate emergency and one of the major challenges is reducing and ultimately stopping the impact from heating our homes and buildings, which is where more than half the energy we consume as a society currently goes.

“The benefits of heat networks are not only environmental – they can save space, remove combustion risk within buildings, and have been shown to save householders and businesses up to 36 per cent in fuel costs, with consequent benefits for tackling fuel poverty and reducing costs faced by businesses and public bodies.”