Welcome to Melbourn Energy Superloop
Join your neighbours and switch to affordable, low-carbon heating powered by recycled waste heat from a local data centre.
Why join Melbourn Energy Superloop?
Hundreds of Melbourn residents are ready to make the switch.
Reduce your energy bills
You could save hundreds of pounds a year on your energy bills — typically 25-40%
Cut your carbon footprint
Reduce household CO₂ by 2–4 tonnes each year — equivalent to taking a petrol car off the road for good
Future-proof your home
Decades of reliable, low-carbon heating, using British-made Kensa ground source heat pumps
Improve your indoor air quality
Get rid of pollution from gas boilers — a major source of air pollution in UK homes
See what you can save compared to gas. Psst… getting your instant estimate enters you into a monthly draw to win one of three £10 Dobbies e-gift vouchers (garden centre & restaurant).
What is Melbourn Energy Superloop?
Superloop is a community heat network powered by a data centre.
As the data centre runs, it produces heat that we capture instead of wasting. That heat warms the water flowing through Superloop’s network of underground pipes.
This pre-warmed water feeds into ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) installed in homes, businesses and community spaces, boosting their efficiency, driving down energy costs.
After transferring its heat to the heat pumps, the now cooled water returns to the data centre to be reheated – creating a closed loop that runs continuously without using any fresh water.
The result?
Up to 5x
more efficient heating
25-40%
Up to 90%
lower heating emissions
Check out our short animation explaining how Superloop works:
Ultra-fast broadband, too
Alongside affordable, low-carbon heat, we’re bringing ultra-fast 10Gb fibre broadband to the village, offering more choice, greater speeds and competitive prices.
Superloop: good for your pocket, great for the planet.
How much could you save by joining?
By installing a ground source heat pump connected to Superloop, a typical household could save 25-40% on heating bills compared to gas boilers. Here’s what that looks like for different homes:
| Usage | Estimated annual gas bill | Typical savings on a standard tariff | Typical savings on a smart tariff (e.g. Octopus Cosy) |
| Low usage (flat or 1 bed, 1-2 people) | ~£600 per year | ~£140 per year | ~£210 per year |
| Medium usage (2-3 bed, 2-3 people) | ~£850 per year | ~£210 per year | ~£320 per year |
| High usage (4+ bed, 4-5 people) | ~£1200 per year | ~£310 per year | ~£470 per year |
All figures represent typical annual savings compared to gas boiler heating. See our full savings calculations and assumptions here.
How Melbourn Energy Superloop will come to life
Building a heat network takes time and careful planning. The full project will take around three years to complete, with heat pump installations happening in phases across Melbourn. Here’s the plan:
1. Community consultation - underway
We’re meeting residents, running events, and sharing how Superloop works. So far, 94% of Melbourn residents we’ve spoken to are interested in joining.
2. Planning applications - underway
We’re working on securing permissions for the data centre and underground pipe network. Areas with strong community interest will help guide where the first phase of construction starts. Psst… want your road connected sooner? Spread the word and encourage your neighbours to register their interest.
3. Home surveys – coming soon
Once planning’s approved, we’ll survey your home to show your potential savings, installation costs and the best heat pump solution for your home.
Good news: The government is currently offering a £7,500 grant to replace your boiler with a heat pump (which will go a long way towards covering the cost of installation), so now is a great time to switch.
4. Construction
When planning permissions are granted, construction will begin on:
- The data centre
- The underground pipe network
- Heat-storing boreholes (the system’s backup for constant, reliable heat)
Work will take place in small, carefully managed sections to keep roads accessible throughout.
5. Heat pump installation
Swapping your boiler for a Kensa ground source heat pump takes just 2-4 days.
Then you’re ready to enjoy clean, affordable heating for years to come.
Who's behind Melbourn Energy Superloop?
You’re in safe hands. Some of the UK’s most reputable infrastructure companies have come together to make Melbourn Energy Superloop a reality.
It’s a collaborative project powered by Dataglow Energy, Kensa, Deep Green, and aql, and backed by Octopus Energy Generation.
Our mission: Decarbonise homes through innovative, community-scale heat networks.
Backed by Octopus Energy Generation, Dataglow Energy is the driving force behind Melbourn Energy Superloop – and many future Superloop locations.
As the forward-thinking renewable investment arm of Britain’s largest energy company, OEG invests in Dataglow Energy both directly and through its managed funds, which also back Deep Green and Kensa. Energy Superloops are seen as a practical, affordable way to help the UK reach Net Zero.
Britain’s largest and most established ground source heat pump manufacturer. Kensa will install and maintain Superloop heat networks and award-winning heat pumps, building a system designed to last decades.
An innovative data centre developer turning waste heat into community benefit. By hosting a data centre in towns and cities, communities gain cheaper, cleaner heat – proving that waste heat only exists if we choose to waste it.
A leading provider of digital infrastructure and communications since 1998, aql delivers ultra-high-capacity networking, internet engineering, and fixed, mobile and satellite communications as a service – acting as the hidden enabler behind some of the world’s largest and fastest-growing brands.