Community owned energy for Leith
Edinburgh is planning heat networks for Leith. We think the people of Leith should own them, so the money stays here.
Working with Lothian Heat, ECCAN and Porty Community Energy
What's this all about?
The way homes in Scotland are heated is about to change. That change is a rare chance for Leith to own part of its own energy system.
The big idea
City of Edinburgh Council is planning heat network zones that include Leith, but has no community partner. If Leith owns the network, the money paid for heat stays here.
What we're doing
Leith Energy is running public events, sharing plain-English information about the changes to the energy system, and asking people in Leith what they think.
What we hear shapes what we do next.
What you can do
Fill in the survey, come along to an event, and tell your neighbours. If you're part of one of the groups below, we'd especially like to talk to you.
Tell us what you think
It takes less than five minutes and you don't need to know anything about energy.
Filling it in doesn't sign you up to anything. Your answers help us show the Council what Leith wants.
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We especially want to hear from
Tenement owners' associations
Tenements already share walls, stairs and repairs. Heat could be next.
Street and residents' associations
A whole street connecting at once is easier to plan than one home at a time.
People running an existing heat network
Including shared or communal heating in your building.
Businesses with spare heat
If your building gives off waste heat, it could help warm your neighbours.
A community heat network works best when neighbours, building owners and local businesses are part of it from the start.
Questions people ask
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A heat network is a system of insulated underground pipes that carries hot water from a central heat source to many buildings. Homes connected to it get heating and hot water without needing their own boiler.
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Under the Heat Networks (Scotland) Act 2021, councils identify areas where heat networks make sense. City of Edinburgh Council is working on heat network zones that include Leith, and at the moment those plans have no community partner. Leith Energy wants to change that.
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It means the energy system is owned by an organisation run by and for local people, rather than a private company. Any surplus goes back into Leith, and people who live here get a say in how it is run.
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Not automatically. What people pay depends on how a heat network is built and run. Community ownership means decisions about pricing are made by people who live in Leith, and any profit stays in the community rather than going to shareholders.
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Leith Energy is run by Eala Impacts CIC, a Leith-based social enterprise, working with Lothian Heat, Edinburgh Community Climate Action Network and Porty Community Energy.
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No. The survey takes less than two minutes and does not sign you up to anything. It helps us understand what people in Leith think about community owned heat.
Hear about events and news
We'll let you know about public events and what happens next. No spam.
Who's behind this
Leith Energy is a project of Eala Impacts CIC, a Leith-based social enterprise.
We're working with community energy groups across Edinburgh and the Lothians.
Partners
