We are looking to prototype how to map local areas at a granular building-by-building level, determining the most appropriate heat solutions, and establishing zoning as a tool for action. We want to test whether local heat zoning would provide clear pathways for clean heat scheme design and targeted interventions, and whether making these plans public would encourage citizens to contribute and act.

Currently, the majority of households have to be proactive and driven to switch to low-carbon heat. Households may not know about heat pumps or other low-carbon technologies. They may struggle to find information they trust and be unaware that there is financial support for making the switch to low-carbon heat.

Our working hypothesis is that local heat planning at a level, guiding households about the future of their home, will prompt action and act as a strong signal to local supply chains. This would raise awareness and confidence, alongside a first step into coordinated approaches.

We think this will involve mapping areas where different technologies such as district heating networks, air-source heat pumps and shared ground loops are feasible. This zoning would build on existing energy planning frameworks like local area energy plans or local heat and energy efficiency strategies by being more granular. We seek to further the zoning process by communicating these local heat plans effectively to both households and industry.

How can we improve local heat zoning and planning to create a clear path for households and the supply chain, and potentially lead to the design of coordinated switching schemes?

We are looking to understand the necessary resources – including data and local knowledge – to identify suitable areas for low-carbon heating options and determine the best decarbonisation solution for the properties in those areas.

We’re interested in the following:

• The level of professional and householder consultation and refinement required to identify suitable areas.
• How local heat planning can influence future regional energy planning 
• Testing public perception and behavioural responses to heat zoning, understanding how households react to plans and whether zoning builds trust and prompts action.
• Understanding effective communication strategies to encourage active participation from stakeholders.

We want to hear from you, so this may be appealing if you are:

• a local authority, combined authority or regional skills partnership with a shared infrastructure project or decarbonisation plan underway and you want to capture potential learnings or receive support on how to action your plan
• a resident or member of a community with an interest in shared infrastructure or collective pathways to low-carbon heating and want to understand how to start this process
• an energy provider wanting to understand how to approach low-carbon heating at scale
• a consumer data company wanting to understand the market for low-carbon heating.

We’re looking to start projects as soon as possible, with the view of capturing the first learnings from projects by summer 2025.

If you’re interested in discussing any of the briefs that follow, or have a project that you wish to share, please reach out to [email protected].