Written question asked by Alex Sobel (Labour) on Friday, 28 August 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 2 September 2026. It was answered by Martin McCluskey (Labour) on Tuesday, 8 September 2026 on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Heat Networks

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the ADE: Heat Networks Cost of Heat Research, what estimate her Department has made of the potential cost impact on consumers of not capturing heat wasted from data centres and other sources.

Answer: Data centres will be an important source of low-carbon heat for heat networks. DESNZ has agreed to fund several projects across England where heat is being recovered from data centres because they can offer very low-cost heat which would otherwise go to waste. Through heat network zoning, certain types of buildings and low-carbon heat sources can be required to connect to a network, helping unlock low-cost waste heat from sources such as industry and data centres.

Secondary information