What is Loka?
Loka is a District Heating Network dedicated to Greenwich Peninsula. We generate heat and supply it to your home’s heating and hot water systems. Our network removes the need for you to own, maintain, insure or replace a traditional boiler. The heat we provide is available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; you simply pay for what you use and for your connection to our network.
Simply put, a District Heat Network consists of:
- An energy centre that converts fuel into heat.
- Insulated underground pipes that transport heat to your property.
- A Heat Interface Unit (HIU) that transfers heat from the network into your heating system.
Do I have to get my heat and hot water from Loka?
Yes, Loka is the only provider of heat and hot water to your property.
How can I be sure that the price I pay is fair?
We have comprehensive safeguards in place to protect you. These legally binding standards cover everything from the service you receive to the price you pay and how we address any problems that arise. We are answerable to the Royal Borough of Greenwich, the Greater London Authority and the Estate Management Company (which includes resident representatives). You can read more about these safeguards in our Customer Charter.
We review our prices every year. The price we charge you for heat will reflect the change in the cost of gas from British Gas and the official Consumer Prices Index (CPI). There will be no random price-hikes.
Everything is included in Loka’s price: servicing, maintenance, replacement, emergency callout, metering and billing. There will be nothing more to pay.
Does Loka provide my electricity too?
No, we only provide heat and hot water.
Is Loka responsible for all of my home’s heating and hot water?
The Loka network delivers heat from our Energy Centre into a Heat Interface Unit (HIU) located in your home. The HIU represents the end of the Loka network. Beyond that, your central heating and hot water systems (including pipes, radiators, controllers, taps, baths and showers) are your responsibility to control, maintain and repair.
What is a HIU?
The Heat Interface Unit (HIU) is a box that looks like a home boiler. It brings heat and hot water into your property from the Loka network. Inside it there is a Heat Exchanger, which transfers the heat between our network and your property’s central heating system.
Who is responsible for the HIU?
The HIU is part of our network so if it breaks or leaks we come out and fix it. You are encouraged not to touch the HIU – if you need to check settings or view information relating to the heat and hot water you use, that’s what the In Home Display is for.
Will I have to pay if my HIU breaks?
No, your heating charge covers all repairs and maintenance, so you won’t ever have to pay extra.
What are the benefits of a District Heating Network?
Our efficient network delivers a lower carbon output when compared to traditional individual home boilers. We have the ability to generate and distribute heat that has been created from many different energy sources, for example:
- Gas boilers
- Gas-fired Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems
- Biomass and biogas boilers
- Biomethane
- Fuel cells
- Renewable fuels, solid recovered fuels
- Gasification & pyrolysis
Currently, the Loka district heat network generates heat from gas boilers and a gas-fired CHP system.