By Munisha editorial desk
Nottingham City Council has secured Government funding for two detailed studies into the city’s district heating network, with work due to begin in June 2026.
The funding, awarded through the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s Heat Network Efficiency Scheme, will be used to examine how parts of the Nottingham district heating network can be made more efficient, resilient and cost-effective over the long term.
The studies directly cover homes serving 737 households, but the council says the findings could help guide improvements across wider parts of a system that supplies around 5,000 domestic and commercial customers.
Government funding for heat network studies
The money will support two optimisation feasibility studies rather than immediate construction work. Engineers will look at how heat is generated, distributed and used, from energy centres and substations through to individual homes.
The council says the work is intended to identify where future investment could improve performance, support reliability and reduce carbon emissions over time. It may also help inform decisions that could lower operating costs, although no direct bill change has been announced at this stage.
Nottingham’s heat network was first established in the 1970s and has supplied low-carbon heat and hot water in the city for more than 50 years. Local heat generation can also reduce exposure to volatile wholesale gas markets, a point the council highlighted during continuing pressure on household energy costs.
Manvers Court and St Ann’s areas under review
The studies will focus on two parts of the network selected because they could provide lessons for similar buildings and sections elsewhere.
| Area | Study focus |
|---|---|
| Manvers Court | A 14-storey block of flats, used as a model for two identical buildings on the same estate, with potential learning for around 270 council flats. |
| St Ann’s, Phases 6 and 12 | A network section serving 647 households, chosen to represent a wider system with similar design. |
Together, the two projects cover 737 households directly. The St Ann’s study could have wider relevance for the broader network, while the Manvers Court work may help shape improvements across similar council flats.
For readers following heating infrastructure upgrades more broadly, Munisha has also covered a district heating investment affecting residents in another city network.
Possible household contact during assessments
A small number of households may be contacted as part of information gathering and technical site visits. The council says residents will be informed and supported, with involvement managed to minimise disruption.
No widespread service interruption has been announced in the source material. The current stage is a feasibility and optimisation review, designed to decide where later improvements or investment would have the strongest case.
Cllr Sam Lux, Executive Member for Environment and Sustainability, said the network had provided low-carbon heat to thousands of homes for more than five decades. She said the funding would allow the council to build on the network’s strengths and identify where future improvements could bring the greatest benefit for residents.
June start for feasibility work
Work on the feasibility studies is scheduled to begin in June 2026. The findings are expected to feed into future investment decisions for Nottingham’s long-running heat network, including measures aimed at continued reliability, lower-carbon heat and stronger system performance.
Source: Nottingham City Council
Source check Source trail
This report is based on Nottingham City Council’s published notice about Government-backed feasibility studies for the city heat network.
- Confirmed the funding body named in the source as the Department for Energy Security and N...
- Checked the scheme name given as the Heat Network Efficiency Scheme.
- Matched the affected study areas to Manvers Court and St Ann’s Phases 6 and 12.
- Kept resident impact limited to feasibility work, possible site visits and future investme...
- Source
- Nottingham City Council
- Scope
- Nottingham
- Updated
- 2026-05-27 12:24
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