Central building heating and district heating

Apartment buildings are usually heated in one of two ways. Central building heating (centrální domovní vytápění) has a boiler room or other heat source in the building or complex and distributes heat to all flats. District heating (dálkové vytápění, CZT) delivers heat from a heating plant through a heat network to a substation. Under the Energy Act, the substation is not part of the building it stands in.

How heating is paid for

The flat receives an annual statement from the owners' association, cooperative or building manager. Under Decree No. 269/2015 Coll., heating costs are split into a basic component of 40 to 60%, allocated by countable floor area, and a consumption component based on meters or radiator cost allocators. Since 2024 the size of the basic component depends on the quality of the building envelope. For the heat used to prepare hot water for the whole building, the split is 30% basic and 70% consumption.

What the register and certificate say

The RÚIAN register also records the heating method. Since July 2024 it distinguishes not only building, district and local heating but also the energy source, such as natural gas, coal, biomass or a heat pump. Older records are often out of date, so they may differ from the listing.

In the energy performance certificate, district heating is rated according to how the network produces heat: an efficient network with more than 80% renewables has a primary energy factor of 0.1, one with a lower share 0.7, and other networks 1.3.

What to watch out for

• Disconnecting a building from district heating requires a permit under the Building Act and is allowed only if the building's energy performance indicators (total delivered energy or non-renewable primary energy) do not increase (Section 7(9) of Act No. 406/2000 Coll.). Whoever requests the disconnection pays its costs.
• A flat disconnected from the building's heating still pays the basic component of heating costs, recalculated as the decree sets out.
• When buying a flat, find out the heat source, the statements and advance payments for recent years, and any plans to change the heat source.