Maximising the benefits of heat networks for customers with expert onboarding
- Heat networks deliver a range of benefits to customers – reliable heating at a fair price, delivered as part of an all-inclusive service.
- Unlike other utilities, however, public awareness of heat networks is mixed - only 54% of the population are familiar with the technology. Heat network regulation is also still evolving, unlike other utilities.
- To realise the full potential of benefits for customers, heat network operators should deliver a proactive and thorough service.
- At Brent Cross Town, our onboarding experience is proactive – we’re driven to secure the best possible experience for our new customers, ahead of regulation.
At Brent Cross Town, our proactive and collaborative customer onboarding experience ensures that customers feel comfortable with their new utility.
Most of us have experienced the excitement and stress of moving home. It’s this range of emotions that we keep in mind when we welcome new customers to our heat networks.
Heat networks are a growing technology in the UK, but public awareness remains fairly mixed – only 54% of the population described themselves as familiar with the technology. This impacts how we engage with our customers – working to ensure that they feel comfortable, confident and clued-up when joining our heat networks.
Building confidence early-on
Our onboarding work begins earlier than may be expected. Before customers sign their contracts or move into their new home, we identify key stakeholders in the onboarding process - property developers, or sales and lettings teams, building management and customer experience teams.
We hold sessions with these stakeholders to introduce the heat network, explain how it works, and where to direct customers if they need support from us. At Brent Cross Town, we’ve held interactive discussions with master developer Related Argent and their wider customer welcome teams to ensure that everyone is well-prepared to support customers, answer questions, and guide them with confidence.
This kind of collaboration isn’t often seen in the utilities space and is essential to make sure that everyone who supports our new customers is well-versed in the heat network. It’s a key reason why our service stands apart.
Onboarding with care
We know that for customers to feel confident, they need to understand how their heat service works and what it means for them day-to-day. From step-by-step videos and informative welcome packs to face-to-face Q&A sessions, these efforts are essential for our customers to feel comfortable and confident.
At Brent Cross Town, our face-to-face sessions have been a standout success; they offer customers the chance to meet our team, ask questions, and even pick up one of our popular kid’s activity packs. We hope to become familiar faces in the communities connected to our heat networks.
Taking extra steps for our customers
Once customers are onboarded with us, we provide a range of support options; they can contact our Customer Care team in multiple ways and manage their accounts at the click of a button, either online or using our Vattenfall Heat UK app. In the background, we actively monitor customer queries and engagement trends to continuously improve our service.
Heat network regulation isn’t as established as other utilities, though this will change in 2026 with incoming Ofgem regulation. We’ve been proactive in developing an expert customer experience that’s considerate of incoming regulation. We have voluntarily registered the Brent Cross Town heat network with Heat Trust, an independent consumer champion for heat networks; by registering, Heat Trust ensure that our customers receive a standard of service similar to that of gas or electricity customers. This gives our customers peace of mind that their service meets high standards on important topics from emergencies to complaints.
We understand that moving home can be overwhelming for some people, particularly when experiencing a new utility like heat networks. We have carefully developed our customer onboarding process to align with, or exceed, that of other utilities. With a collaborative and creative approach, our customers receive an onboarding service that puts their comfort first.
Enabling Brent Cross Town to thrive
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See also
Building confidence in heat networks: a visit from Scotland’s advice agencies
A visit to our MEL energy centre provided Scottish consumer advice agencies with valuable insight into how heat networks work – and how they support customers across the nation.
Our new how-to videos give customers step-by-step support for their heating and hot water
We’ve created a ‘how-to’ video series, introducing a new way for our customers to find information about their heating and hot water service from us.
Our customer promise
We are committed to ensuring that our customers have reliable heating and hot water when they need it.
See also
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