District Heating: Frequently Asked Questions

A boiler burns gas to heat water for your heating system and shower. With a district heating system, the process is different: water is heated centrally and delivered to your home through underground pipes. 

There are various types of district heating networks. The benefits can vary depending on the type. These are the main benefits:

1.  Less noise:
   If everyone installs their own heat pump with an outdoor unit, it can generate a lot of noise. A district heating network prevents this. The heat exchanger in a district heating network makes about as much noise as a central heating boiler.
2. More sustainable:
   A district heating network emits less CO2. The heat is mainly generated from electricity. In the Netherlands, that electricity is increasingly green (renewable).
3. More stable prices:
   The cost of a district heating network does not depend on the price of natural gas. It does, however, depend on the price of electricity. Because the Netherlands is generating more and more of its own green electricity, we expect electricity prices to remain more stable than natural gas prices. Natural gas is likely to become more expensive over the next 25 years.
4. Efficiency:
   A heat pump connected to a district heating network performs better than a standalone heat pump. This is especially true in the winter, when there is a high demand for heat.
5. Lower costs:
   We want to keep costs as low as possible for residents. We believe a district heating network is a good way to achieve this. This is currently being explored further.

Exactly what these are depends on the type of district heating network. In all cases, the street will need to be (partially) dug up to install pipes. This will cause temporary inconvenience. Also, with a district heating network, you cannot choose your own energy provider, as you can with natural gas today.

Every household has the choice of whether or not to connect to the district heating network. If no one wants to connect, the district heating network cannot be built.

We aim to create a district heating network that requires as few changes to your home as possible. Your current gas boiler will be removed, but your radiators can stay in place. In place of the gas boiler, a system will be installed that heats the water from the district heating network to a higher temperature. You’ll use this hot water for heating, showering, and hot tap water.

We don't know that yet. We are striving to keep costs as low as possible for residents. 

You can sign up for the focus group to actively contribute your ideas at energie@westmaasenwaal.nl. Together, we will work to find a design that best meets the residents’ needs. 

That’s all good news. With a district heating network, you pay a monthly fee (just like with gas) and then pay for your actual usage. If you use less, you’ll pay less.

You are not required to participate. You can still connect to the district heating network once your current system has been fully depreciated. It may be that connecting to the district heating network will be a more attractive option than an individual solution in the future. In that case, you are free to connect at a later date.

We have a good working relationship with the De Kernen housing association. If it comes to that, the housing association will handle the transition and any necessary modifications to the home. Private landlords decide for themselves whether or not to connect to the district heating network.

Do you live in the neighborhood where we’re conducting the feasibility study? And is your boiler really due for replacement? If so, your best option is to choose a good used boiler or rent one. In the meantime, we are working hard to determine whether the district heating network is technically and financially feasible. If you can wait to replace your boiler, we recommend waiting until the results of the feasibility study are known.  

If you live in the area where we are conducting the feasibility study, it would be best to wait a while. If a district heating network is feasible, our offer may be more cost-effective than an individual heat pump. If you purchase a new heat pump now and later decide to switch to the district heating network, your investment in the heat pump will have been wasted.

We’re starting in this neighborhood in Beneden-Leeuwen. Next, we’ll move on to other neighborhoods and villages. We don’t have a schedule for that yet. We’re taking the lessons we’ve learned into account to make the right choice for the other villages. 

It is highly likely that the villages along the Meuse River (Alphen, Altforst, Appeltern Maasbommel) will not receive a district heating network. These villages are probably too small to make the installation of a district heating network economically viable. A (collective) individual solution will likely be the best option there. This means either individual heat pumps or perhaps a heating solution on a street-by-street basis. We will provide more information on this at a later date.

Boven-Leeuwen a possibility that Wamel, Dreumel Boven-Leeuwen will eventually get a district heating network. However, this will take a very long time. Do you live in one of these villages and need a new boiler? If so, you can still simply purchase a new boiler, possibly combined with a hybrid heat pump. 

You can send an email to energie@westmaasenwaal.nl. We will get back to you as soon as possible.