Community Heating Systems

What is a Community Heating System?

A community heating system is where a single heat source supplies heat to a number of different properties. Examples include a system that heats a block of flats or a large scale heating system that supplies multiple buildings. Such systems work best in densely built areas with large numbers of dwellings in close proximity to one another; to ensure the system is efficient.

Systems across the world show a large range of different heating sources. Many use a typical boiler set up although new builds and refurbishments are often using renewable energy sources such as biogas or woodchip. Electric heating is particularly common with community heating systems due to their niche of heating densely built areas; a gas explosion could be devastating. Some community heating systems make use of solar and geothermal energy.

Here in the UK, some cities have adopted major community heating systems that heat whole districts.  In Nottingham for example, a community heating system heats 4,600 homes and a wide range of businesses.

How is the heat distributed?

Smaller community heating systems are similar to large scale central heating systems; making use of pumps, valves and insulated pipes.

The larger schemes use what are known as heat mains. Heat mains are series of pipes that are buried in the ground similar to other mains services and have stellar insulation to reduce energy loss and ensure optimum efficiency. A key feature of heat mains is that they can pump at different speeds, to adapt to what is required and keep costs at a minimum.

What differences will consumers see?

Consumers will still have radiators, thermostats, time switches/programmers and TRVs. The main difference is that instead of a boiler they have a Hydraulic Interface Unit which connects their home to the heat mains. This unit contains control valves and metering.

National Grid Prosecuted Over Gas Leak

The National Grid pleaded guilty on the 25th of September this year to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £17,500 in addition to £8,192 in costs after gas leaked into a Halesowen home.


The leak occurred back on the 20th of August, 2010 when a team of engineers replaced the gas supply to a property in Bromsgrove Road.

They chose to change the supply connection from a low pressure main on the opposite side of the road to a medium pressure main on the same side as the property.

Unfortunately, when carrying this task out, they drilled through a plastic main concealed within the iron main that they attached the new connection to. Gas leaked out of this secondary plastic main into a house 150 metres from the property the engineers worked on.

Thankfully the leak was noticed on the same day by a member of the public passing the property.

A second team of engineers was then deployed, identifying the high levels of gas within the house. The polluted house was then made safe in the early hours of the following morning.

The blame for the incident was placed upon the national Grid who had not updated records with the existence of the concealed plastic main. The company had know about the plastic main for four years, yet had not detailed this.

That the situation was speedily identified and resolved whilst the home-owners were out proved to be very lucky. Francine Cheney, a HSE (health and safety executive) inspector said that over half a tonne of gas had escaped from the incision made by the engineers. Such high levels could have killed quickly had the homeowners been inside. Additionally, as gas is extremely flammable, any form of ignition could have caused an explosion.

BPM Maintenance are a Bath based company with Gas Safe registered engineers that you can rely on toe perform jobs such as the one mentioned in this article efficiently and safely. They also offer gas safety certificates to Bath, Bristol and the surrounding area which landlords must obtain every year.

Yet Another Rogue Plumber Caught By HSE

Consumers should always be vigilant against rogue and illegal tradesman making false claims about their accreditations and skills.

Salisbury Crown Court heard last Friday (28 September) that the Wiltshire plumber Simon Dale who traded under the company name Cathedral Plumbing Services and previously Wiltshire Plumbing & Heating Ltd, had carried out gas work on 13 properties in Wiltshire that he was not qualified or registered to do.

This kind of practice puts selfish greed above the safety of his clients, whilst working in a field that can have very deadly consequences for shoddy work.

Although Dale was registered as a plumber under the CORGI scheme, he was not qualified as a gas engineer. Despite this he made verbal claims that he was qualified to carry out the gas work and used official logos on his paperwork and van that he did not have the right to use.

On one particular job he also claimed to be Part P proficient and able to carry out electrical work.

Illegal gas work is very often of poor quality with the resulting installations carrying high risk of explosions or carbon monoxide leaks. Carbon monoxide cannot be smelt, tasted or seen yet a percentage of just over 1% in the air can cause unconsciousness in a few breaths and death in a few minutes.

The plumber pleaded guilty to six offences under the Health and Safety at Work Act and ten offences of fraud by misrepresentation, breaching the Fraud Act 2006 as well as three breaches of the Unfair Trading regulations 2008 for unfair commercial practice.

This list of crimes landed Dale 30 months of prison, including consecutive prison sentences rather than concurrent as two of the cases of fraud were committed whilst he was on bail for the other offences.

If you live in the Bath area of the UK and need a Bath gas engineer, Bath plumber or Bath electrician you can trust, then BPM Maintenance is here to help. Our tradesmen are fully registered and accredited with their various organisations and are happy to prove that to you to ensure your safety and peace of mind are preserved.

Illegal Gas Worker Found Guilty in Rochdale

The Health and Safety Executive has reported that a man from Rochdale has been found guilty of illegally carrying out gas work to three homes within his borough.

His actions came to light after he installed a new boiler and gas hob at a property. Fortunately, the home owner attempted to change the gas meter from pay-as-you-go to a conventional meter reading style not longer after the illegal gas work.

When the National Grid engineer visited the property and observed the illegal gas work, he quickly noticed that the condition of the gas hob was 'immediately dangerous'.

Gas is an extremely dangerous substance; it is highly flammable, colourless, odourless and tasteless. A concentration of just over 1% in air will knock a person unconscious after only a few breaths and kill after 2-3 minutes.

The rogue gas contractor was named as Paul Gregory of Hollin Lane, Middleton. He pleaded guilty to five breaches of Gas Safety Regulations and received a fine of £2,279 and a requirement to undergo 300 hours of unpaid work.

He worked his scam by creating a fake Gas Safe Register number on documents and claiming he was a qualified, accredited member of the organisation.

The other two jobs he carried out were landlord gas safety certificate jobs, which must be undertaken annually.

The Gas Safe Register report that a quarter of a million illegal gas jobs are carried out every year by people without the skills or qualifications to work with gas.

Gas work is never a DIY job, it is simply too dangerous and if any mistakes are made it can easily cost the life of both the inexperienced worker and anyone nearby without warning. Always hire a contractor and ensure that they will do a good job.

BPM Maintenance is a property maintenance company with highly experienced, qualified, accredited gas engineers that you can trust. Each can provide all the relevant information regarding their professional registrations; rather than just a fake id number. For all gas work and gas safety certificates in Bath, just phone us today for a free quote on 4401225462598 or email us at info@bpm-maintenance.co.uk.