Having led the marketing and communications for a number of residential heat network schemes, Marketing Manager, Yasmin Lloyd, has seen first-hand the role effective stakeholder engagement plays in building trust and confidence in heat networks. Below, she shares her top tips for turning hesitation into confidence.
Buying a property can be one of the most significant milestones in a person's life, marking the start of a new chapter and a place where memories will be made, far beyond bricks and mortar. Yet for all that promise, moving home is also consistently ranked among life’s most stressful experiences. That’s why, for the residents at Edmonstone Village, we wanted to make sure their heating was never one of those worries.
Each Avant Homes property will be connected to a single dedicated energy centre on the estate. This purpose-built facility will generate heat locally using air source heat pumps, which will then transfer the heat through underground pipes directly to each home via a Heat Interface Unit (HIU), which acts like a boiler and provides heating and hot water to the home.
Whilst this isn’t new technology, it is a new concept to many people. Moving into a property without a gas boiler means more stable energy costs and no boiler maintenance fees, but it can also introduce an unfamiliar approach to heating and hot water. That unfamiliarity can create hesitation. Our experience has shown that people don't oppose heat networks because they're complicated; they oppose uncertainty.
So how do we build confidence and trust in three simple steps for those who are sceptical?
Engage early: We began planning our communications approach 9 months before the first open day. Working closely with Avant Homes, we developed a clear understanding of prospective buyers at Edmonstone Village, including their priorities, concerns and preferred communication channels. From the moment construction began, signage was installed across the site to explain the scheme and its benefits. As a result, anyone visiting Edmonstone Village could immediately see that the development was taking a future-proofed approach to heating homes.
Clear communication: Residents shouldn’t need an engineering background to understand what’s happening in their own homes. We translated complex jargon into simple, relatable, benefit-led communications designed around the needs of prospective homeowners. Recognising that one size does not fit all, we used a range of formats to ensure people could access information in the way that suited them.
Within the show home, we created a dedicated heat network information space whereby visitors could learn about the Edmonstone Village heat network and speak directly with the team delivering it. This included:
Animated video: Explaining in plain language what a heat network is, how it works, the benefits it provides, how residents manage their heating and hot water, and the protections available to them.
Graphic wall: Showing the customer journey of heat, from the energy centre to individual homes, through a simple and easy-to-follow visual.
Mock HIU display: Giving prospective residents the opportunity to see a HIU up close while our team demonstrated how it operates and how it can be controlled through the Glass app.
Site signage: Installed throughout the development to raise awareness of the heat network and highlight the development's carbon reduction benefits.
Take-home booklets: Providing clear, accessible information that visitors could digest at home, complete with contact details for any follow-up questions.
Vital Community Energi: Directing residents to our customer-focused website, where they could access additional guidance, learn more about living on a heat network, and find answers to frequently asked questions. As the ESCo for the development, Vital Community Energi also manages metering and billing, ensuring a fair and transparent service for residents from day one.
By proactively addressing common concerns around costs, control, and reliability, we saw conversations shift from understanding the technology to understanding the benefits.
Listen actively: We got ourselves in front of potential residents to explain how the network works, and, just as importantly, to understand their questions, concerns, and information needs. We did this through attending a range of open days at Edmonstone Village and having a close relationship with Avant Homes, who were active in feeding back technical queries from residents.
Listening only matters if it leads to action. By capturing feedback, recurring questions and areas of uncertainty, we continuously refined our messaging and communications materials to ensure they addressed the concerns raised by residents. This enabled us to provide clearer, more relevant information and build confidence in the heat network from the outset.
Whilst this process has been simplified for the purpose of this article, what cannot be overstated is the importance of building residential engagement on a foundation of understanding. By engaging early, being clear, actively listening and responding to concerns, we can help residents understand their heating system, feel confident using it, and recognise the benefits it brings to their home. As heat networks become increasingly common in new build developments, the success of these schemes will depend not only on engineering excellence, but on the confidence of the people who live on them.
