District Heating Systems

eoinola

I wanted to get peoples views on District Heating Systems and find out people are paying every two months.

What is your Standing Charge and the rate €/kwh?

I see that Frontline are charging a bi-monthly standing charge of €49.51 plus VAT of €6.68 (Total – €56.19) which adds up to €337.14 a year even if one doesn't use any heat!

Why are these charges so high when compared to the likes of Bord Gais, Electic Ireland etc?

On their website it is stated that “the system is generally cheaper to run than an equivalent individually heated apartment system. There are little or no maintenance costs for the individual user and you only pay for what you use.”

This to me seems untrue given that you pay a bi-monthly bill of €56.19 even if you use no heat at all.

What does this charge cover? What are the average bills people are paying ever two months?

It would appear that as a consumer one has very little choice in how he/she chooses her energy provider. Is this the case? Is this in line with EU Competition Directives?

I am extremely interested in this charge and its effect (positive or negative) on people buying / renting apartments whose heat is run by a district heating system.

antoinolachtnai

Well if you had a regular boiler, it would cost you 200 a year in depreciation and cost of funds (assuming that you kept the boiler for 15 years and it cost 2500 euros to replace it and assuming it never required a spare part). You would have to pay the gas standing charge and you would have to pay a yearly 75 euro service/maintenance charge. You are supposed to pay all the above even if you don't use the system at all. So it is really not that far out of line with what you would pay for your own boiler.

There are safety advantages in not having gas in every apartment. The system is also probably highly reliable. The pipes probably keep the common areas warm during the cold season.

K.Flyer

eoinola wrote: »

[..]On their website it is stated that “the system is generally cheaper to run than an equivalent individually heated apartment system. There are little or no maintenance costs for the individual user and you only pay for what you use.”

I imagine that the standing charge is designed to cover the routine maintenance costs of the boilers (usually 2 or 3 of them, each about the size of a small car.) and incorporates a fund for replacement parts and maintenance and repairs on the overall heat distribution system. Just for comparison, a burner unit for a domestic boiler may only cost a few hundred euros, compared to a couple of thousand euro each, plus installation, for one in a district heating system.
I was working in a block that got flooded and the three b6rners were destroyed. It cost about 10k to have them replaced.
I would think thats why the standing charges are so high.

Michael D Not Higgins

One thing it does is move the maintenance cost away from any landlords. It would be a bonus for owning and a drawback for renting.

cruizer101

What are the usage costs and how do these compare with individual systems? Also do you know how they are measuring it, heat meter or just water meter?

District heating is far more efficient and should really be used a lot more in apartments and even estates.

K.Flyer

cruizer101 wrote: »

What are the usage costs and how do these compare with individual systems?

This is dictated by whoever manages the system and what profit margin they look to achieve from it.

Also do you know how they are measuring it, heat meter or just water meter?

Usually it's a flow meter on the flow pipe located in the service riser outside each apartment.
When you press the button for heat it opens a valve allowing the hot water to flow into your system and the flow meter measures the usuage x kw x euro.

District heating is far more efficient and should really be used a lot more in apartments and even estates.

There are pros and cons to it.
Main negative is that you cannot choose your energy provider and you are stuck with the rates that are set out.
Another negative is if the valve is not closing fully, e.g. hot water valve, flow trickles through and the meter keeps turning 24 / 7.
Pro would be minimum gas runs and no boiler taking up space in the apartment. Very fast heat up times.