Whose role is it to service HIUs?

This somewhat shocking state of affairs is perhaps an indication of the complexities involved in keeping heat networks continuously optimised. After all, it’s not only the communal parts that require proper monitoring and management but also every individual household’s heat meter and heat interface unit (HIU). The HIU is the device that should ensure reliable, on-demand delivery of heating and hot water from the central plant room to the home. Just like a domestic boiler, these require regular servicing to prevent leaks, limescale build-up, pump seizures and inaccurate or inflated bills.

Relying on residents

For the entire system to work well, there’s therefore a need for all residents to be fully engaged and on board with recommended operation and maintenance processes. However, it’s no secret that getting householders’ commitment to things like equipment servicing is rarely straightforward. And, in the case of heat networks, it can be even more problematic. 

Some people may not even understand what a heat network is or know that they’re connected to one, let alone what their responsibilities are in this regard. They may mistakenly believe, for example, that their HIU is in fact a standard gas or electric boiler and call in a plumber or electrician with the wrong kind of expertise to service or fix their appliance. This isn’t unusual and, alarmingly, some heating engineers with no qualifications or experience in heat network maintenance will still ‘give it a go’, making things worse and potentially causing serious problems affecting the entire network. 

Even if residents are fully appraised of their equipment set-up, they may feel that it’s not worth taking action or spending the money unless all their neighbours do too, as the size of their energy bill depends as much on what everyone else in the building does as on their own behaviour. On the other hand, if they do decide to act, they might not know whose responsibility it is to service and maintain their appliances, or who they should call in the event of a problem. The number of reputable companies offering HIU services is limited and, of those that are out there, very few can also offer meter maintenance. 

Shared vs separate

Because heat networks are still a new concept to many people in the UK, it’s easy to see how confusion over accountability for different communal and household assets can arise. O&M contracts put in place by building owners or their managing agents may only cover maintenance of the central plant room, not individual heat meters or HIUs. If that’s the case, then additional arrangements need to be made for regular servicing and emergency repair cover for those too. 

Most often, it falls to the landlord, or their managing agent, to organise this on behalf of their tenants. The associated costs can then be recovered through service charges or an adjustment to energy tariffs. The best way to do it is through a planned preventative maintenance (PPM) contract. This will help to keep the outlay predictable, while saving money in the longer term by keeping everything running efficiently and reducing the need for expensive unexpected repairs. 

Leaseholder loophole

In some instances for residents who are leaseholders may, depending on the terms of their lease, be responsible for organising servicing and repairs of their own HIUs and/or heat meters, even though they may have no idea that’s the case. They may well believe it’s the freeholder’s role to do this, with the costs recovered through the maintenance charges they’re already paying. They may not receive any reminders or information to support them to do it, and they may be reluctant to incur the additional expense. 

Furthermore, unlike tenants, who may be requested to book servicing visits by their landlord, residents who own their property may be under no legal obligation to maintain their equipment, even if it’s in their own (and everyone else’s) best interests to do so. 

The challenge for heat network operators and heat suppliers is therefore to educate, motivate and enable any leasehold tenants in this situation to ensure their HIUs and heat meters are regularly serviced, to avoid excessively high energy bills for all residents. One good way to do this is to send out regular reminders that also signpost them to a reputable HIU and heat meter servicing company. Getting both devices serviced in one visit will help to keep the process as simple, convenient, and cost effective as possible. Radiator and underfloor heating checks can sometimes be included too.   

No escape for new builds

If a heat network is part of a new-build site, there may be 12-month developer snagging periods or manufacturer warranties of up to five years in place covering the entirety or various elements of the system. It’s worth noting, however, that snagging clauses only cover installation issues, not equipment failure or inefficiencies caused by any other kind of problem. And they typically don’t cover servicing or maintenance. Equipment warranties, meanwhile, become null and void if they are not serviced in line with the manufacturer requirements, so they certainly do not negate the need for regular equipment maintenance. 

In any event, after the initial building warranty has elapsed, the responsibility for maintenance and repairs of all equipment will revert to either the landlord or leaseholder. It’s essential to check the terms of contracts and leases to be aware of whom this obligation falls to, and to take steps to ensure its fulfilled. After all, when it comes to heat networks, you should never wait until a problem becomes obvious before taking action.