Miriam Maes

⛔ 🚧 Britain’s grid delays are now hitting demand projects (like data centres and EV hubs), not just energy generation, with a congested and inefficient demand connection queue slowing viable developments. Ofgem’s proposed reforms aim to clean up the queue, but the core issue remains: only incumbent operators can build transmission infrastructure, limiting capacity and speed. I shared some thoughts with Utility Week which have made it into their “Top Stories” post this morning, linked below. We need to open the transmission network to competition – in the same way Ofgem did in the distribution network more than 20 years ago – this would unlock faster connections, boost investment, and prevent demand from becoming the next major bottleneck to UK growth.

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Are We Becoming a One-Trick Pony on Heat Policy? I’ve been concerned for a while that DESNZ seems less focused on achieving a genuinely low-carbon future and more fixated on promoting a single technology. At times, it feels like they’re acting as sales reps rather than policymakers. And no, I’m not talking about the usual heat pump versus boiler debate. Let’s look instead at heat networks. The Climate Change Committee suggests that around 20% of UK homes should eventually be served by heat networks. But here’s the question: are DESNZ’s policies helping us get there—or holding us back? Currently, government support prioritizes heat networks that use low-carbon sources such as heat pumps, waste heat recovery, renewable fuels like biomass and energy-from-waste systems. On paper, that sounds great. In practice, it means heat networks often deliver more expensive heat compared to alternatives. If the goal is to promote heat networks aggressively, wouldn’t it make sense to get them up and running first, then transition to low-carbon sources as they become more affordable? Another self-inflicted problem: every heat pump installed in an area with heat network potential is lost revenue for that network. Fewer customers mean higher unit costs for those who do sign up. Yet, there’s no sign of restrictions on where heat pump subsidies apply. And then there’s the so-called “boiler tax” regime. Appliance manufacturers get a full credit (saving £500) if they replace a gas boiler with a heat pump—but not if they install a heat interface unit for a heat network, even if that network is low-carbon. That feels less like a push for low-carbon heat and more like a push to flog heat pumps. Back in 2022, the Heat and Buildings Strategy identified three routes to decarbonize our building stock heat pumps, heat networks and green gas boilers. So when did the policy shift to just one? If we’re serious about decarbonizing heat, we need flexibility, not tunnel vision. Heat networks could play a huge role—but only if policy supports their growth rather than unintentionally (or not) undermining them.

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We have opened up for applications to deliver the first phase of the £20m Demand Turn Up (DTU) trial. The trial builds on previous work including CrowdFlex and looks at how we can scale DTU rapidly - including industrial and commercial loads. It will also test the impact of exempting DTU from consumption levies.

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Energy security was, unsurprisingly, top of the agenda on this week’s Holyrood Sources podcast. This was my take on recent discussions between the industry and Chancellor on how the UK Government can support greater domestic supply and secure billions of pounds of investment - a REAL WINDFALL - for public finances. Calum Macdonald Andy Maciver

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Another brilliant result for the work of the Green Gas Taskforce to see such significant recognition in the recently published Whitehead Review of Greenhouse Gas Removals. Working together across the wider industry is crucial to achieving our climate ambitions. Our latest report (expertly summarised by James below) isn't about saying do one thing instead of the other, but instead demonstrating how biomethane can help be an important part of the overall system solution for CCUS markets in the UK. Our work with GHD (Thomas Evans, Tatyana Dergunova, Andrew Jackson) demonstrates that inexpensive removals are possible in significant volumes from green gas generation as soon as storage infrastructure allows. Combined with our work with Alder BioInsights there is a very real prospect of 120TWh of significantly carbon negative biomethane being available in the UK grid in 2050. The GHD analysis shows this would contribute over 35 million tonnes of high integrity negative emissions and potentially a further 18 million tonnes of avoided emissions from displacing natural gas - equivalent to over 13% of emissions reductions required to reach Net Zero. At the same time, we are supporting agriculture, improving energy security and facilitating the move to a more resource efficient circular economy - what is not to like! Research team brilliantly supported by The Carbon Removers (h/t Ed Nimmons, Richard Nimmons and Raphael Pfaeltzer) to demonstrate the real-world application of permanent storage of biogenic CO2, as well as the great team at the Carbon Capture and Storage Association (Mark Sommerfeld, Olivia Powis) to show how the biogas solution plays an important and complementary role in wider CCUS policy. Very kindly assisted by the brilliant folks at SGN (Richard King) too!

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“Britain can’t afford to delay its green energy transition” said Juergen Maier CBE FRS FREng writing in The Observer Juergen Maier CBE FRS FREng, the chair of Great British Energy says that stalling the transition of the electricity grid will “only harm the environment, raise costs and risk jobs”. He notes that energy policy has now become a “major fault line” and is at the “frontline of a misinformation battle”. He adds that overhauling the UK’s energy system is a “major undertaking”, as it was built years ago for a system designed around coal power. As such, the system needed overhauling anyway, so we “might as well” design it for the future, he notes. While some criticise this transition as expensive, writes Maier, electrification is already saving around £2bn a year and could reach an “astonishing” £33bn annually by 2050. “The task ahead is immense, but so is the opportunity. The time for ‘maybe later’ has passed. The future will be built by those who build now,” he concludes. He’s right. Time to get moving 🏃 ⚡️ ☀️ 💨 #SustainableLeadership SDG 7 +

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Today, Ofgem’s regulations of heat networks officially come into force. It’s an important milestone, as until now, people who happen to live on a property served by a heat network – otherwise known as district heating, or communal heating – haven’t benefited from the same levels of protection afforded to those whose homes are heated through their own gas or electric supply. In my time working as Heat Network Lead at the Extra Help Unit, I’ve grown increasingly aware of the profound impact of this lack of regulation. We’ve seen people in vulnerable circumstances not knowing where to turn for urgent support when they can’t afford to top up their meter. We’ve seen people receive astronomical catch-up bills completely out of the blue. We’ve seen meter faults remain unresolved for sustained periods of time, due to breakdowns in relationships between the different companies involved in the operation and delivery of a heat network. It's clear that the people we’ve helped in these situations deserve much better, and I’m proud to be able to work with all relevant parties in my role, in order to help drive the necessary improvements in standards. Whilst we’re unlikely to see things change overnight, we recognise that the introduction of regulation is a vital step in the process. I’ve recently written more about these issues here: https://lnkd.in/evKGCv-w

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Heat Pumps - The 20th Century System Blocking 21st Century Solutions Heat pump grants expose a fundamental problem: trying to deliver 21st century climate solutions through a 20th century energy system designed for very different needs. Our network charges, tariff structures and regulatory frameworks were built for centralised fossil fuel generation and predictable consumption patterns. They're not just outdated, but actively block the transition to low-carbon heating. Here's the uncomfortable reality: we're asking people to embrace heat pumps while maintaining a pricing system that makes them economically viable only for the affluent. Current grants primarily benefit households ready to transition: those with newer homes, disposable income for installation disruptions and financial buffers for system optimisation. Working families in older housing face inadequate insulation, heating systems that complicate conversions and inability to absorb income loss from installation disruptions. The deeper problem is systemic: we need radical restructuring of how we charge for electricity. Time-of-use tariffs designed for smart meters don't address the fundamental issue - network charges and standing fees that penalise electrification. The pricing structure makes heat pumps more expensive to run than gas boilers, so no wonder uptake is slow. This isn't innovation, it's institutional failure dressed up as consumer choice. Community energy approaches could address this through bulk installations, shared maintenance costs and collective bargaining. But this requires treating decarbonisation as a collective challenge requiring system redesign, not individual consumer choice within a broken pricing model. The System Changes We Actually Need: NIE Networks: Restructure network charges to support electrification. The current system charges people more for using electricity for heating, the opposite of what climate action requires. Develop community solar packages integrated with heat pump installations and enable shared renewable generation. Housing Executive: Partner with community energy groups to pilot bulk heat pump installations in social housing estates that show what's possible with redesigned tariffs. Government: Stop pretending grants alone work. Mandate a comprehensive review of electricity pricing to align network charges with climate goals. Redirect 30% of heat pump grants to community-led heating projects while you fix the underlying system. Utility Regulator: Your mandate is to serve consumers, not protect outdated pricing structures. Create tariffs that make low-carbon heating affordable for everyone. We're failing because we're trying to force 21st century solutions through 20th century infrastructure and pricing. That's a choice, not a technical constraint. How will you restructure the system to make decarbonisation economically viable for everyone? #HeatPumpEquity #GreenTransition #ClimateJustice #EnergyReform

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