Everyone has a right to affordable heat - so the heat grid is a social investment

We are going to build more heat networks in Eindhoven. Constructing these to heat houses sustainably costs a lot of money. However, if we do nothing to reduce fossil fuels, climate change will cost us even more.

There is no way that the users can afford the construction of heat networks themselves. Compare it to our sewer system. That is also a social task whose cost we share among everyone, and the municipality regulates it. That is so obvious. So why are we having a different debate with the energy transition? Shouldn't we also see this as a social investment where we pay the costs together in a social way?

As an alderman, I am committed to affordable heat for everyone. We are taking the lead in the construction of heat networks in Eindhoven. A social energy transition, in other words. That's why, as a municipality, we are now setting up a public energy and heat company: Eindhoven Energy and Eindhoven Warmth. The revenues remain within the heat company and its users, so the profits do not go to energy company shareholders.

Climate Log. Read previous installments here.

Heating without gas

In the coming years, we will be looking at how to heat houses in Eindhoven without gas. This may be different for each neighborhood. It can be through heat pumps, all-electric, or a heat network. The heat for these new heat networks can be generated using residual heat from a water treatment plant or data centers. In Meerhoven, a heat network has been in place for years and currently heats with residual heat from the biomass plant. In the future, this will be done using a more sustainable variant, residual heat from data centers.

So, what does this mean for our residents? By 2026, it must be clear which houses and neighborhoods can be connected to a heat network in the future. Heat networks work if houses are well insulated and not everyone has the money to sustain their homes. I've talked to people who have concerns about affordability. I understand those concerns. Therefore, we will help people make their homes more sustainable through subsidy schemes, but also by being available for all questions and by helping to think of solutions, for example, through a Positive Energy Café.

Public energy company in Eindhoven to ensure a sustainable and reliable energy supply

Through close cooperation between the municipal energy company and local businesses, innovation in energy storage, smart grids, and sustainable energy generation can be accelerated.

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Free choice

Of course, it is and remains a free choice to have the home connected to a heat grid, but the more people participate, the better and cheaper. If residents do not want to be on a heat grid, they will have to realize a demonstrably sustainable/sustainable alternative themselves.

So, my main hope is that we will work together with a public energy and heat company to create a sustainable, affordable, and reliable heat supply in Eindhoven. Let's take up this challenge and ensure a warm future for all of us.