Heat networks group claim
We are investigating a group claim on behalf of heat network customers who are paying very high prices for their heating and/or hot water. These prices which seem excessive, could be explained by the poor quality of some heat networks, uncapped bills and other factors.
Learn moreWhat is a heat network?
Put simply, if you obtain heating and/or hot water from a central source which supplies multiple properties, you are probably a heat network user. These networks typically supply numerous flats in one or more neighbouring buildings, or numerous houses in an estate, eliminating the need for individual boilers in each property.
Heat networks are normally managed by private companies, housing associations or local authorities.
What are the problems with heat networks?
In 2018 the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found that some heat networks offer poor value for money to their customers and that unit prices and average bills vary significantly between networks.
This year huge price rises have hit heat network customers, often already overstretched by the cost-of-living crisis. Stephen Knight from the Heat Trust, an organisation which campaigns to protect consumers in this sector, has reported rises of 300%-700%. Whilst the current energy crisis partly explains this, the level of some rises is suspicious.
Register your interest in joining the heat network group claim
Problems with the quality and transparency of heat networks, are also worrying. For example, the Heat Trust has reported that heat losses are leading to very high heat prices for some customers. The CMA has indicated that a large proportion of customers’ bills are not calculated in a transparent way given the lack of reference to actual or estimated household use.
Heat networks are still unregulated, despite the CMA recommending in 2018 the introduction of protection which currently is only available to consumers in the gas and electricity sectors. Heat network customers are typically not allowed to change their provider – i.e. they can’t shop around for the cheapest/most convenient price in the market. All these factors make the very high prices charged by some heat networks, even more suspicious.
In this context, Paul Bolding reported a price rise of 344% in June 2022, in this BBC article where he understandably expressed his frustration at the lack of regulation to protect people from "unscrupulous operators".
What is Leigh Day doing about these problems?
We believe some heat networks may be breaching the contracts they sign with their customers and may be breaching rules aimed at protecting consumers. We are therefore investigating a potential group claim on behalf of customers affected by these problems. The purpose of this claim would be to recover the excessive heating charges that individuals have had to pay.
If you are interested in this claim, please complete our short form here.
Read our reviews
Register your interest in joining the heat network group claim
If you believe you have been affected, you can register your interest in joining the claim by completing our short form here. Please complete the form as best as possible and our dedicated team will review your responses. We will then contact you to confirm next steps.
Register your interest in joining the heat network group claim
Frequently Asked Questions
Discover more about the claim.
We are investigating a group claim on behalf of heat network customers who are paying very high prices for their heating and/or hot water. These prices which seem excessive, could be explained by the poor quality of some heat networks, uncapped bills and other factors.
Please fill in the following short form to register your interest.
If you want to understand more about the background to the claim, please read the section “About the claim”.
There are a number of time limits that may apply to each claim. These will vary depending on the type of claim you are eligible to bring.
You cannot make a claim once the relevant time limit has passed. We would suggest completing our form as soon as possible.
Please note that we are not in a position to provide advice to non-clients on the applicable limitation period in their matter. At this stage we are simply investigating whether a group claim is viable.
Yes, but there are deadlines that apply to claims. These will vary depending on the type of claim you are eligible to bring. We would suggest completing our form as soon as possible.
No, we are investigating claims on behalf of those who rent and own their property. The viability of claims will depend on who has signed contracts with the heat network and who has sustained losses because of excessive bills, among other factors.
We would bring these claims on a 'No Win-No Fee' basis. This would mean that you would not be required to pay for our costs upfront. However, if you are successful a percentage would likely be deducted from your compensation. This percentage and all funding arrangements will be confirmed in due course if a claim is viable, so you can decide whether you want to instruct us.
If you lose (that is, you obtain no compensation from the Defendants), then you would not have to pay us anything.
We will investigate After the Event insurance to protect you against the risk of losing and being exposed to the defendants' legal costs. This and all funding arrangement will be confirmed in due course if a claim is viable, so you can decide whether you want to instruct us.
Register your interest in joining the heat network group claim
What our clients say
Excellent, expert, highly professional service in a group action. Very communicative and pro-active. Great work! And from one who has used plenty of lawyers, but never in a class action, I was mightily impressed.
David MacMullen via Trustpilot
To register your interest in a potential claim, please complete the online form here.
You can contact a member of the team using the details below.
- Email: heat-networks@leighday.co.uk
- Tel: 020 3780 0372