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Heat Network Consultants

North East

Sunderland heat network zone

Sunderland was one of the 28 places in the government's Heat Network Zoning Pilot, which tested how zones would be identified on the ground. No heat network zone has been formally designated anywhere yet, because the zoning regulations are not in force.
Zoning pilot placeZone not yet designated

Where things stand in Sunderland

Zone status
Not designated No zone can be formally designated until the zoning regulations are in force.
Zoning regulations
Awaited Not yet laid before Parliament.
Council area
Sunderland
Likely zone coordinator
Sunderland City Council (expected, not confirmed: zone coordination bodies can only be formally set up once regulations are in force)
Zone opportunity report
Prepared by WSP for the zoning pilot. Read the reports on GOV.UK

If you own or manage a building in Sunderland

Nothing is legally required of you yet. Once regulations are in force and a zone is designated, the zone developer can ask the coordination body to send connection notices to buildings in the categories the government has set out: new buildings that receive planning permission after the zone is designated; existing buildings with communal heating, both domestic and non-domestic; and existing non-domestic buildings with a wet heating system and average heat demand above 100 MWh a year.

The sensible thing to do now is to understand your annual heat demand, check whether your heating is a wet system and note any lease terms or planned plant replacement that could affect your position.

Firms with public work in Sunderland

  • Switch2 Energy

    Unconfirmed

    Shipley · Yorkshire & the Humber, West Midlands, North East, North West, London

    Metering, billing and operations specialist for heat networks, mainly serving social and private landlords.

    • Metering & billing
    • Ofgem authorisation
    • HNTAS
    • Design & engineering

Consultants covering North East

  • Buro Happold

    Unconfirmed

    Bath · North East, South East, South West

    Engineering consultancy with a place on the government's national heat network zoning framework and three pilot zone reports.

    • Zoning compliance & exemptions
    • Feasibility
    • Design & engineering
  • Not stated on website · England-wide

    Specialist heat network consultancy covering metering and billing compliance, commissioning, troubleshooting and training.

    • Metering & billing
    • Design & engineering
  • Vital Energi

    Unconfirmed

    Blackburn · North West, Yorkshire & the Humber, East Midlands, West Midlands, London, South West, North East, East of England

    Designs, builds, funds and operates heat networks, including Leeds PIPES, and is a delivery partner in Plymouth and Westminster.

    • Feasibility
    • Design & engineering
    • Procurement support
    • Metering & billing