MANAGE IT
Performance Management & System Monitoring

This section explores how real-time insights and regular reporting can transform heat network management - giving you visibility, confidence and control

Ongoing Monitoring: Turning Data into Confidence

Ongoing monitoring isn’t just a regulatory box to tick - it’s what keeps your heat network performing efficiently, compliantly and cost-effectively. Real-time insights and regular reporting can transform heat network management - giving you visibility, confidence and control.

The story behind the data

A well-run heat network is one you can see, understand and improve. Ongoing monitoring lets property managers move from reactive problem-solving to proactive performance management - ensuring systems stay efficient, compliant and resident-focused.

Continuous monitoring helps you:

•    Spot inefficiencies before they escalate into costly failures
•    Benchmark performance across multiple sites
•    Track compliance against HNTAS KPIs
•    Reduce avoidable callouts and disruption
•    Build trust through transparency and data-led decision-making

Many platforms now make this possible by translating complex technical data into simple dashboards.

Data Energy & Guru Pinpoint

Guru PinPoint, powered by Data Energy is one example. It provides a clear view of network performance, turning real-time data into actionable insight that supports better maintenance planning, tariff setting and regulatory reporting.

Learn more about ongoing monitoring and PinPoint

Learn More

How it Works

What is Pinpoint?

Guru’s Pinpoint is market-leading software that turns complex heat-network data into clear insights.

It analyses live metering data – from energy centre meters to bulk and consumer meters – to show inefficiencies, faults and performance trends.

With traffic-light dashboards, instant alerts and advanced analytics, Pinpoint makes it easy to identify where problems occur, whether it’s a bypass left open, an HIU fault or a heat loss within the distribution network.

How do you currently monitor heat network performance?

We use real-time monitoring systems like Guru PinPoint
We have basic monitoring but need better insights
We rely on manual checks and reporting

Heat Loss & Efficiency - and Why It Matters

Grace has come a long way. She’s sorted her billing, her data is flowing, and residents are finally getting clear statements. But just when she thinks she’s on top of things, Eden tells her there’s more - HNTAS.

This isn’t about whether you have meters installed or bills going out. It’s about how well your network actually performs. Ofgem’s framework is designed to move the sector from compliance on paper to performance in practice. That means proving your system is efficient, fair, and delivering value for residents.

The reality? Many networks are running far below par. Some with as much as 65-70% heat loss! That doesn’t just hurt compliance - it pushes up resident costs, wastes energy and undermines trust.

The good news is that efficiency isn’t fixed. It can be measured, understood, and improved. With data, analysis, and the right interventions, networks can shift from being a liability to a long-term asset.

For Grace - and for you - this chapter is about seeing efficiency not as another burden, but as the key to unlocking compliance, cost control and resident confidence.

Pain Points for PMs

Where do I start? Efficiency feels abstract without clear benchmarks.
Who’s responsible? Developers often walk away at handover, leaving PMs accountable.
What’s the risk? Poor efficiency = higher resident costs, more complaints and regulatory penalties.
How do I fix it? Few PMs know about optimisation studies or HNES support.

Heat Loss & Efficiency

Heat networks are only as good as their efficiency - and one of the biggest challenges is heat loss.

When heat leaves the energy centre, it’s pumped through a network of pipes to reach individual homes. Along the way, some of that heat is inevitably lost. In fact, distribution is often where most inefficiencies occur, leading to overheated corridors, wasted energy, and higher costs for residents.

Efficiency matters because:

Cost impact – the less efficient the network, the higher the bills

Carbon impact – wasted heat means wasted energy, undermining Net Zero targets

Compliance impact – Ofgem and HNTAS will benchmark efficiency. Poor performance will not pass unnoticed

The good news?

Heat loss can be measured and managed. Regular monitoring, good insulation, and proactive optimisation can significantly improve efficiency. Networks running at 60–70% efficiency instead of 30–40% make a huge difference for both compliance and resident satisfaction.

What HNTAS Means

The Heat Network Technical Assurance Scheme (HNTAS) will assess whether your system is working efficiently and meeting technical benchmarks.
It moves the sector from “tick-box compliance” to real performance accountability.

Metrics will include:

Heat loss during distribution
Generation efficiency at the plant room
Performance of HIUs in homes
Network resilience under demand pressures

Real-World Example

A block of 150 flats in London was running at 40% efficiency. Corridors were overheated, residents complained about bills, and the PM couldn’t explain why.

After an optimisation study, they rebalanced flow rates, repaired faulty valves, and improved insulation.
Within six months, efficiency improved to 68% — bills stabilised, complaints dropped and carbon savings were recorded.

HNTAS is the elephant in the room. For too long, efficiency slipped under the radar because nobody was measuring it. Now it’s measurable, reportable and enforceable - if you don’t know your network’s efficiency, you’re flying blind.

Optimisation isn’t about patching up what’s broken. It’s about unlocking performance. Time and again, we see that small tweaks - better controls, smarter insulation - can deliver big gains. The difference is data. Without it, you’re not managing - you’re guessing.

— Daniel Davies, d-Analysed