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25th September 2024

The Customer Experience… Connecting to a Heat Network

Heat networks can be an unfamiliar technology and connecting onto one can come with some concerns… We recently sat down with Tredegar Primary School’s Head Teacher, Jenny Thomas, to find out her pre-project fears, how the process went and what advice she has for others connecting to a heat network.

Jenny & Richard Marchant Landscape

Heat networks can be an unfamiliar technology and connecting onto one can come with some concerns… We recently sat down with Tredegar Primary School’s Head Teacher, Jenny Thomas, to find out her pre-project fears, how the process went and what advice she has for others connecting to a heat network.

I believe you had some concerns about your school connecting to the heat network.  Could you talk us through them?

My main concern was around footpaths being closed and this leading to a drop in attendance at the school.

What was your actual experience of connecting to the heat network and did those concerns occur?

Vital Energi spent time meeting with me to eliminate any concerns. The team worked with me to remove any barriers. I had confidence that I could call a member of the team to discuss any potential issues, knowing that I would get a response quickly.

How do  you feel we did at listening to you, taking on board your knowledge of the school and how it works so we could better deliver the project?

I think the team did very well. They were very strategic in their approach, and we worked together on important dates for the school. At the time, the school was going through some structural changes, so we had builders on site. The Vital Energi team were keen to get all stakeholders involved in meetings to avoid any disruption.

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One of the new outdoor spaces created for the Nurture Farm, part funded by Vital Energi, which promotes active learning

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How were we at communicating with you, your staff and parents?

It was great to have a local team member in the Project Manager Richard. This meant that our community could relate to the organisation. The team did everything possible to get important information known to the community.

We often speak of our clients as partners.  Do you think we lived up to this when connecting you to the heat network?

Most definitely.

Can you think of any instances where we went the extra mile to help?

On occasion, we suffer from anti-social behaviour. There was one occasion when the safety barriers (adjacent to the main car park gates) had been torn down. When I arrived at school in the morning, I knew that this was going to cause issues as we have car parking problems in the area as well as the build-up of pedestrians trying to access the site. I phoned up a team member and within 20 minutes, someone was on site sorting out the issue. This meant that the school day wasn’t impacted, and I could tick one issue off my list straight away.

How does it feel to know your school is now lower carbon?

I know that this is a big target for Newport City Council so it’s great to know that we are contributing to their aims.

What advice would you give to someone who’s considering connecting to a heat network?

Connect with the team to find out all the information you need. They will take the time to go through the finer details with you.

Looking back, how do you feel the process of connecting to a heat network went?

The process went much better than expected. It’s not often I say that, so this is a great achievement! Thank you!

Jenny & Richard Marchant Landscape

Jenny Thomas, Head Teacher at Tredegar Primary School and Richard Marchant, Vital Energi's Operations Manager at the opening of the school's new Nurture Park

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