With local authorities under pressure to contribute to the UK's carbon reduction targets, finding a more efficient method of heating the built environment has emerged as a key challenge.

According to the Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics (DUKES) 2017, domestic properties account for 30% of total UK fuel consumption, with around 80 per cent of this being used for water and space heating. District heating schemes have quite rightly emerged as a viable means of improving the efficiency of these systems and reducing their overall carbon footprint.