PDHU costs residents more than an independent gas boiler
The figures below show the cost of heating and hot water for two identical 3 bedroom flats on the Lillington and Longmoore Gardens estate. The first flat has an independent gas boiler installed, the second receives heating and hot water from the PDHU. The cost of installing an independent gas boiler in 2007 was £2,000. The Council are proposing a new heating and hot water system that could cost each leaseholder £66,000.
These indicative figures are clearly concerning and we need your help to force the Council to provide more detail to explain this apparent failing.
Year | Independent gas boiler | PDHU | Annual price difference |
|---|---|---|---|
2014 | £269.20 | £1,115.12 | £845.92 |
2015 | £410.82 | £1,107.96 | £697.14 |
2016 | £353.37 | £1,115.12 | £761.75 |
2017 | £292.13 | £1,056.29 | £764.16 |
2018 | £227.47 | £975.84 | £748.37 |
2019 | £398.76 | £1,025.23 | £626.47 |
2020 | £164.19 | £963.06 | £798.87 |
2021 | £358.48 | £1,025.23 | £666.75 |
2022 | (awaiting data) | £759.74 | |
2023 | (awaiting data) | £1,835.67 | |
2024 | £273.48 | £1,546.06 | £1,272.58 |
2025 | £301.32 (Octopus Energy estimate) | £1,756.18 | £1,454.86 |
Year | Independent gas boiler | PDHU | Annual price difference |
|---|---|---|---|
2014 | £269.20 | £1,115.12 | £845.92 |
2015 | £410.82 | £1,107.96 | £697.14 |
2016 | £353.37 | £1,115.12 | £761.75 |
2017 | £292.13 | £1,056.29 | £764.16 |
2018 | £227.47 | £975.84 | £748.37 |
2019 | £398.76 | £1,025.23 | £626.47 |
2020 | £164.19 | £963.06 | £798.87 |
2021 | £358.48 | £1,025.23 | £666.75 |
2022 | (awaiting data) | £759.74 | |
2023 | (awaiting data) | £1,835.67 | |
2024 | £273.48 | £1,546.06 | £1,272.58 |
2025 | £301.32 (Octopus Energy estimate) | £1,756.18 | £1,454.86 |
Individual Heat Pumps
It is possible to calculate the cost of installing an individual heat pump for your flat using the government website. We have done this for a 2 bedroom flat on the Lillington & Longmoore Gardens estate. The maximum installation cost is £10,000, compared to the £66,000 PDHU upgrade cost quoted by the council.
Individual Gas Heating and Hot Water
It is also possible to compare annual heating and hot water costs for a district heating system (PDHU) vs. gas central heating using the Heat Trust website. Again, we have done this for a 2 bedroom flat on the Lillington & Longmoore Gardens estate and the results show that the district heating network is nearly 50% more expansive.
What does Ofgem say?
Ofgem will become the heat network regulator on 1 January 2026. They have said that heat network consumers should "not be unduly disadvantaged compared to other consumers on alternative heat sources" and that "Pricing should not discredit the growth of the heat network sector given its importance to net-zero goals".
You can read more in Ofgem's Heat networks regulation: fair pricing protections paper published in April 2025